The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
by A-ScarredOne
Summary: A untraditional approach to present a novel of Ocarina of Time in accordance with my presented Hero of Time Trilogy: 'Ocarina of Time', 'Majora's Mask', and 'A Shade of Time'
1. I History in Concern

Author's Note: Well, I am returning to present a novel of Ocarina of Time, and if everything goes well with my time in writing on the side with my original High Fantasy Fiction, I hope to write a novel for Majora's Mask as well as I tie Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask with my other piece, "A Shade of Time" My intention is to combine these to form a Hero of Time trilogy.

As my headcanon attempts to reconcile the canon in all of the gaps and room for imagination in the game's presentation of the overall storylline, I incorporate my headcanon and also desire to present the story in raw reading material for it to be friendly for readers who are unfamiliar with the fandom. So, I have taken a rather untraditional approach to the story.

I hope you find it different and intersting, and that you enjoy it.

Please, no grammar police, and please do not try to tell me how to write, that's just rude and encroaches upon peoples style. I wish to remind readers there is never room to get personal. Now, with all of that being said, I would love to hear feedback on the content, plot, and story. Critiques are welcomed, but again if you wish to hit on my grammar mistakes and/or my style, then I am not interested.

If any disclaimer is necessary: This is fanfiction (surprising right? lol)

So, now I present to you:

The Legend of Zelda  
Ocarina of Time

Chapter I  
History in Concern  
(as told by Hapora)

Blank pages of book leaves unfurl upon the desk of oaken hue. And a steady hand, with quill, dips into the well of fine quality ink, and the hand's owner smiled.

However, quite honestly, there were scarcely times when he did not smile. His grin would vary from one of simple joy as that of a father watching children in play, a great grin of pure enthusiasm, or a broad grinning smile as one who smiles upon winning a sport of argument. Only in moments of dire need and subjects of great gravity was he found to either frown, show anger, or become furious. Only in his keeping of books and records had he adorned a straight face.

In public occupation he was a salesman, and he could be quite persuasive if not influential in the least. Many did not understand his smile due to its continuous and persistent manner. Sure, it made sense as it was fit with his character in making sales, but on or off season, it would ever be adorned as though it had been plastered upon him. For this, many called him "The Happy Masked Salesman" as none knew him by name or in any personal manner as he only interacted with the public on business. He was honestly pleased with the title and took it upon himself to name his business after it. After all, a product of his was indeed masks of mysterious depictions of great arts, life itself, moods, and some were in depiction of more abstract aspects of life regarding one's soul and spirit: a depiction of character. The man was astute as well as vigilant with a notion of brilliance; whereby, because of his smiles and mysterious nature, many shunned him as odd and strange. But others, though few, were actually attracted to the gentleman in curiosity, yet most of his company was often attended by children of adventurous heart. In addition to his mysterious aura, it was rumored by a few how he was the ageless. For of truth, he had been present about the world for many ages under one guise or another, disappearing and returning when after being long forgotten from one generation to the next. But while the rumors ran, non could confirm its truth as he was very subtle about it.

Within his quarters, however, he was one who kept track of history with great knowledge that excelled the most dignified scholars and the most skilled cartographers.

The salesman's hair gleamed a bright orange, and his attire was of a noble scholarly tunic with a white collar that represented his store of knowledge, yet the tunic was of vibrant violet with a necklace crested with many jewels in signifying his status in society as a salesman. About his quarters in the wooden shop, newly built and still in progress of furbishing, he had a quaint living environment with a few arrangements for eating, relaxation, and bedding. But there were no means of luxury, not even for recreation, save for his documents, studies, and writings. He had a wealthy library of books, most of which were formed and scribed by his own hand. To his left, at the other corner of the room, stood another desk with papers of business and calculated statistics of his business and projects. Yet before him, he attended a desk surrounded by his studious pursuits. Many works he produced of history, containing many secrets that only he knew. He told no one, and none knew of his more scholarly side. However, he would tell his stories to children here and there, but to children only. Children only got to hear his stories within a short period of their childhood in youth. The stories were always too marvelous, or beyond their years, for their parents to take them seriously in any belief, and they would ever forget them as they grew old. But often as it may be, for those who listened closest, though the story forgotten, the lessons and truths of those stories instill their hearts to find understanding and wisdom or to do great things.

And so the hand bears down today in recalling the line of history since events of the last 'Great Legend', for his spirit has been moved in this generation of time as time's telling presents the ripening of events that should tell of the next 'Great Legend': 'History, the narration of Time itself, save that it pertains specifically to the tier of Time's "Past". What many a young fellow would regard to be as irrelevant. An irony that I find so amusing since every term of reference is based upon a point of reference. For every term gives a name, and every name has meaning. Context matters. In order for any term to have meaning, it must have context whereby the term is defined. Otherwise, the meaning is lost. For "one does not where he is if he does not know where he has been". Just as a traveler navigates himself through the thick of the woods. As a rule of thumb he must know where he is as he wanders grounds unknown (just as one wanders the future). And he must carefully keep track, as a rule of thumb, of where he has been lest he should be lost and complete circles even if he should forget his course. Keeping track of where he has been defines where he is. For how can a man deal with the unknown if he can't focus on what he does know? Indeed, the Past gives "Context", defining the Present and that which follows, the Future. One cannot understand them in their more complete meaning without the context that defines them.

So, where does it begin?

In the beginning, there were the three goddesses: Farore, Din, and Nayru.

Together, the three created the world. Din cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore produced all life forms who would uphold the law.

With their work complete, the Golden Goddesses ascended to the heavens, and left to the world, the Triforce. And by it, the world had access to the divine power of the goddesses.

Whoever possessed the Triforce had the ability to shape reality and fulfill any desire.

Although the supreme power of the Triforce was created by gods, all of its power could never be wielded by a god. For the goddesses specifically designed it so that their own kind could never use its power. And this was to give hope to mortals.

The goddess, Hylia, served the three in protecting the Triforce, and in offspring of her thought, she created a race of men of noble hearts, the Hylians. And they were elflike with pointed ears. And the Hylians served Hylia.

Yet while the Triforce was not intended for immortal deities and spirits, one, Demise the Demon King, sought the Triforce as he would use it to hold dominion over the world. So, Demise and his demons battled with Hylia and the Hylians. The battle waxed hot, Hylia was gravely wounded, and the Hylians came nigh to perishing from the earth while Farore's children hid themselves. But there was a legendary Hero who aided the goddess.

Though Hylia could not succeed in terminating the Demon King, she managed to seal him away into the earth. But that seal would eventually break as Demise was indeed powerful. It was not a victory, but rather they survived to fight another day. So, Hylia created a spirit and a sword, and that spirit resided in the sword. The remnant of the Hylians she took along with a portion of land that she tore away from the earth, and she reared them up into sky away from Demise's servants. And that land became known as "Skyloft". Moreover, the Triforce was hidden therein.

As wounded as she was, Hylia would not be able to confront Demise by force again. So, she set a plan in motion as she would choose a Hero, in the future when the time would come, and the sword was set in Skyloft for him to use. And Fi, the sword's spirit, would guide him. Additionally, Hylia gave up her immortal form, as she would become born among the Hylians in that coming generation. Hylia would be incarnate.

A thousand years passed when the events of the "Great Legend" took place. For Hylia was born among the Hylians under the name of Zelda, and her loyal friend, Link, would be her chosen Hero. And when their time was right, they were led by Fi and Impa, the Shiekah woman. For the Shiekah were a race relative to Hylians, and are agents of Hylia. Tragically, they were pursued by Girahim, the demon lord and Demise's chief servant, even through a gate of time into the past where Demise is brought again from his prison, and Link confronted him. But Hylia blessed the sword as it grew to its full purpose as it became the Master Sword. A sword that no evil can touch as it is embued with light as it had been bathed in the three lighting fires of the Three goddesses. And when Demise came forth, he and Link dueled in a legendary battle. But Demises was defeated by the Master Sword; wherefore, as he was impressed in fall, he declared to the Hero of Sky how he was a paragon among Hylians. Yet Demise's wrath also burned forth as his shadow expelled from him, and he gave his malice to Link and Zelda stating that their descendants would ever be pursued in tribulations that would cycle for eternity. For an incarnation of his malice would ever return to haunt them. Then as he ended, his darkness was sealed in the Master Sword, earning itself its name as "evil's bane" and "the sword that seals the darkness"

Link, the Hero of Sky, and Zelda, Hylia incarnate, were wed and established a kingdom upon the earth. And the Hylians ruled the land over the children of Farore according to the laws of Nayru, and they safeguarded the Triforce in service to Hylia. The realm of their kingdom was called Hyrule.

Generations after the establishment of Hyrule, there was a disruption in challenge of the kingdom of Hyrule and the children of Farore, who the Hylians protected. For a certain people had interloped upon the land as they had practiced magic in arts that were unnatural, and they had devised their power in a Fused Shadow. With it, they devoured the lives of those they had encountered, and they exploited it as a means to obtain the Triforce for their own purposes in gain. The Interlopers' power was overwhelming for Hyrule.

In answer to the prayers of the Hylians and the children of Farore, the goddesses banished the Interlopers into another realm of the world in parallel to its light, the Twilight Realm. For when the Hylians lived in the world of light, in a parallel dimension, the Interlopers now lived in a world of Twilight, never to return for their continuing generations. So, their descendants would physically adapt to this new realm as they would become known as the Twili. The Fused Shadow, that had given the Interlopers strength, was confiscated and split into shards. And the shards were committed into custody of spirits that watched over Hyrule as they stood ward against shadows.

Hylia had herself already, in the past, been reborn immortal, though she did not attain to her former stature. And seeing how the Triforce was at risk among the desires of mortals, Hylia had instructed the Hylians and folk of Hyrule in ordaining six sages, in representing the elements of the creations of the goddesses. The sages would safeguard the Master Sword and the Triforce. The wisest of these was Rauru, and it was in direction of his counsel that they would hide the Triforce in another realm of another dimension. A realm independent of Time and Space. And so they built the Temple of Time, which keeping sanctum could only be accessed if one possessed three Spiritual Stones of Forest, Fire, and Water. Furthermore, an ocarina was made as an instrument of key value as it possessed power in the music it would play. Therefore, if the Spiritual Stones were set in place and the Song of Time was played on the Ocarina of Time, the inner sanctum could be accessed.

The inner sanctum of the Temple of Time housed the Master Sword, evil's bane, and only the Hero, of the same spirit of the Heroes of old, could draw the sword from its dwelling place and access the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. And thus it was said that as wars for the Triforce would prove inevitable, the need for a hero would come. And that hero would prove to be the Hero of Time, the next age of the "Great Legend"

Now, as an age passed, Hyrule's kingdom composed of an alliance of peoples, the children of Farore, in allegiance to the crown of Hyrule.

There were the Gorons of Death Mountain, and they gave the appearance of a rock when they roll up to conceal their presence and identity. Their main source of diet, though strange for any man to fully conceive the idea, was actually the rocks of the mountain. And as the material became of a richer ore as one digs deeper into the mountain, the more delectable it became for the folk of the mountain. And rock was always of good supply as the mountain actively fountained volcanically in production of both crust and rich ore. They were usually a jolly tribe as they hailed each other as brothers. Eventually, they would sophisticate to the extent of raising their own king.

Zoras inhabited a domain in the rocky clefts to the south east. They hailed from the waters and were known as the fish people. For they were generally blue or pink in color, and grew scales upon their flesh. Fins would also grow upon their limbs wherewith they maneuvered swiftly in the fresh waters. They were a sophisticated people and were unique. Most famous for their skill in architect. From their domain, the mountain gave mouth to the Zora river which was channeled to the city of Hyrule and eventually fed into the lake of the land, Lake Hylia. That lake was a sacred place for the Zoras as they hallowed it to Hylia's memory.

Other spirits there were who watched over the lands and the children of Farore. Save for the Gorons. For they once had Valoo the great dragon spirit who guided them, but then came the dragon Volvagia who wrested the mountain from Valoo. And Volvagia was their arch enemy who devoured Gorons. But a mighty Goron wielded a great hammer in cracking the skull of the beast. The Zoras, however, were overseen by a spirit, who they regarded as a deity, Jabba Jabba, the great fish of their domain. And only the Zora could understand him in speech when he spoke, and that was rare.

Then there was the Great Deku Tree who watched over the forests of the province of Faron. For in Faron stood the Lost Woods, woods of mystery where strange things happen. For the forest spirits of that wood do not take kindly to outsiders, and one who is not native to the forest will find himself in winding paths that maze. Sometimes, the path takes one someplace he did not expect or seek. Sometimes, it will take him back to where he began and had entered. Others become lost, never able to find their way. A lost man, if he cannot find his way, will become a stalfos, a living skeleton of his former self. But Lost Children become 'Skull Children' as they inhabit the woods in a wild and mischievous life.

The Great Deku Tree managed the spirits of the woods, and among the most dear, he fathered the Kokiri. The Kokiri were spirits born as children in the forest. They would grow to about the size of a ten or twelve year old Hylian, and they were eternal children as they never aged nor left the forest as they housed under the spirit of the Deku Tree. They were witty, happy, adventurous in mind, but they were also mature at heart and bore more knowledge of forest and nature than even the wise can study.

All Kokiri had fairies to help guard their minds and hearts if perhaps to give them a little more aid in wisdom. When the Great Deku Tree was in figure as their father, the child's fairy was in figure as like a mother.

So, the Kokiri lived in great deku stumps that had been hollowed out, and thus they housed a village before the meadow of the Great Deku Tree. And they would frolic and play for either merriment or mischief before the great tree. However, according to the word of the Deku Tree, they could not leave the forest into the rest of the world or they would die. Why that was? No one knew, nor did the tree elaborate, not with a single soul.

Sigh…the story of the Kokiri is actually quite the mystery to many of us in Hyrule. And few there are who are at all acquainted with them.

And yet now shadow looms over many hearts in unease. For sorrow lingers after a Fierce War. Sigh, even the queen mother of Hyrule fell in fatality of it. Though even now, our enemy speaks peace with us, and yet this only seems to be a respite before a great peril that grows against Hyrule. So ready are Hylians for peace that they have become blind from being capable of discriminating between darkness and light and to discern ill intent. The princess Zelda, who bears the legacy of Hylia's blood, knows this full well.

Yet while darkness pervades to blind and daunt all in Hyrule, it has yet to prevail upon the mysterious forest, though I alone perceive it. Yes, the narration of time ripens as the next "Great Legend" draws near. The Hero of Time will awake and shape the fate of the world in name above any hero in the land so that there shall be none like him, neither before nor after him. But where shall he rise? Aye, it would seem that great deeds will awake from those unlooked for and help rise from where it is least expected. If any could understand the signs, they would indeed look to his coming. But not yet, for still he sleeps and abides in the most humble of abodes.

A Boy of the Forest."


	2. II Gerudo Legends, War, and the King

Thirty years, earlier.

Dry, heat, cold, moon, sun, sand, … and wind.

In the west, lay wasteland of bare desert, and only scavengers live their: jackals, wolfos, sand worms, molduga, poes of preying spirits, … and the Gerudo. A people of strong will, disciplined, and hardened to be trained for every means of survival. Like any scavenger, they sought opportunity whereby they lived by what they could take. Therefore, they are a people of thieves who abide in a fortress of stone and wood. And as nothing remained of desert to reap for life, they abode in a valley that stood in pass of the great mountains steep and tall, the Gerudo Highlands, giving them reach to the vibrant and rich lands of Hyrule. And from the pure world of the Hylians, the Gerudo plundered and stole from any who journeyed their way. Women they were of tall and sender shape with hair as crimson as both dawn and dusk. Tanned from the wasteland sun stood their skin with features of golden eyes and noses as sharp as a pointed stake. All of them, women or rather that is to say 'vai', who attain production by the men they steal and take. Under more soft hearted chieftains, these men were permitted to return to their natural lives, but under the hard hearted, their lives were taken.

Mystery was the history of the Gerudo, a people who existed in ill fate as if to battle the creation of the goddesses itself, to steal the very life of it if necessary to sustain their own. A mystery that became legend among the people of legends, and among those legends was how they ruled themselves in civilization alternating as tribe and kingdom as a 'voe', which is to say a man, is born of them once every one hundred years. And this voe would be by right of birth to rule as king.

How did it all begin? None know, save a certain sect of the tribe, as that history was long lost, and that sect kept to its secrets. A sect of Gerudo witches to whom the people respected for guidance and wisdom, and the chieftains valued their counsel as their seat was regarded high with great honor. And under the sect with influence of the wasteland's plight, the Gerudo did not look to the goddesses as did the Hylians as rather they looked to a temple of their own, built in a lone rock of the wasteland's depth. So, they worshipped a false goddess, the goddess of the sands as 'she' would provide for them against the world of the goddesses. And she was proclaimed to thrive on the spirits of the dead and even the spirit of the world itself.

Now there remained but a few of the fading sect, the Rova sisters, being the highest of their order. Regularly, the witches attended at the Spirit Temple and made sacrifice according to the tradition of their rituals.

Three were the Rova sisters as they approached the temple built in a great lonely stone of a mount. They were fair with bright faces identical each, for they were triplets. And the sand reflected their gleam as like unto the sun's searing light. With dark robes they wore with runes of old and forgotten meanings. Moreover, their hair was crimson as all Gerudo were. Behind them, followed the sect with their grinning faces as broad as a moon's crescent, and yet behind some vai carried ten Hylians, bound in rawhide, who were way worn from the treatment of both, the Gerudo and the harsh reality of the desert.

As they entered, the sisters walked up a short stairs until they turned, standing before the doorway upon the higher floor as all entered before them in standing together in reverence before the sisters, and the vai kneeled with the Hylians betwixt them in their hands. And the sisters commenced their words of order.

"Your offering today is honorable and well satisfying." Announced Koume, the third sister.

"You bring spirit, you bring life." Added Kotake, the second.

"None are closer to the world of the goddesses in essence than the Hylians of Hyrule, and their spirit will be the gain to the Goddess of Sands!" Exclaimed Konvilla, the first, as she then followed with commanding them, "Now go! And give their spirits to the goddess!"

In proceeding Konvilla's command, the sisters stepped back from the stairs as the vai immediately took up the Hylians to climb the stairs in making their way through the eastern causeway, and the sect followed. But the sisters, however, did not follow as rather they approached a pedestal of a moon's crescent which then ascended in taking them to the second floor.

"Hylians, indeed are the closest in life to Hyrule, and Gerudo are proven to be stronger than ever!" Exclaimed Kotake.

"Yes, but we must take care." Warned Koume with concern, "If any of the people hunger knowledge to question, it can prove a great threat. Already, there are those who doubt the face of the Sand Goddess that we have used in our front, and they grow among us with softer hearts than what can withstand our cursed wasteland."

"That doubt will die..." Konvilla countered, "For war will come soon. And when the people taste the death of the Hylians and taste the world of life, their doubts will wash away as sand is cleansed from a blowing wind." But then she went on in reprimand. "But we have come too far to falter in fear such as this."

Their ascent upon the elevated shaft halted, allowing them to continue their walk as they came into the great hall of the Sand Goddess. Torches were lit revealing a ceiling of a hundred feet, and standing to the back was the colossal statue of the goddess of sand sitting with legs crossed and arms set out as though she were meditating as a monk. About her collar weaved the figure of a great serpent with the head of a king cobra come up behind her neck and rested upon her brow as though it was her crown. Before her on pedestal betwixt torches, the Hylians were taken, one by one where the vai and the sect would slay them, each in a unique manner. The sisters however, stood above in catwalk as they looked on for but a minute before moving onward with stair ascending even higher into darker chambers where the light became dim and the torch light became brighter.

Konvilla continued, "We are close, my sisters. As the spirit of Hylians are drained, the darkness of Demise grows closer. For seven hundred years, we have harvested the Hylians, and when his darkness returns, it will dominate the world. And as children of the darkness, we will rule over the Hylians in life over waste just as they have lived above us."

But Koume countered again as they came to their quarters of darkness, magnificent carpets of fine and broidered works, and books upon books on many shelves. "While some of soft hearts, among the vai, may grow harder when the taste of war comes, others will only soften more. And if their questions ever investigate to learn of our true function as we have devoted our entire history as people of the sect to the dark arts in the lore of the demon king, they will learn that it was because of us that the Gerudo are reduced to a dying waste of people, doomed to fade without means of producing their own blood. They will learn how the legends of the Gerudo are our curse. And when they learn, as their hearts are emboldened, no hardness of war nor witchcraft will tame the fire of their wrath."

"Koume!" Kotake shouted, "Why must you vex us to be downfallen so!?"

But Konvilla soothed, "Koume is within reason to be conerned. But again, I will say this, once the darkness of Demise is awakened in his malice, there will be nothing to fear. Not the soft hearts, not the Hylians, not the royal family of Hyrule, not Hylia, nor even the goddesses of Hyrule."

And Konvilla ceased as she seemed quite confident in her state of mind.

Yet, Koume pushed further to enquire, "If we are to awake the darkness… what is to ensure that it will recognize us as friend from foe? For a darkness as ruthless as we regard, will we be able to find place before its good faith?"

Then Konvilla sighed, "There is a way."And then she strode to their great cauldron while grasping a certain dark text from off the shelf as she explained, "The darkness of Demise's hate is given to whom he hates the most?" And when none answered, she gave answer. "The goddesses, against whom we share a foe in common. We will collect token spirits of the children of Farore as we will take thereof in revealing ourselves in the likeness of the goddesses incarnate in power and beauty upon earth. And in such mockery, we will complete the awakening of the darkness as Hylian blood has at last been given in full. Now!..." She splashed mixtures of many elements in the cauldron. "We are ready to take on our divine roles and pledge ourselves in the rising darkness against the goddesses of plight!"

And the cauldron flashed a great color of white lightning.

The others mulled in thought before pressing inquiry, "token spirits of the children of Farore?" Their heads cocked with furrowed brows, "What tokens?"

And then Konvilla opened the door with sinister bright countenance, speaking in command to the vai without the door. "Bring them!" Then in a short while, the vai returned in company bringing captives bound. "You may leave." She again commanded.

The three sisters observed. "These are captives of the children of Farore which our greatest hunters have trapped and pursued from the three provinces of the peoples bearing with the three strongest elements of fire, water, and forest, representing the goddesses in their creation: Eldin, Lanayru, and Faron."

Standing before them was a Goron, a Zora, and of all things, a Kokiri child who looked very lost and felt very very small.

"How on earth did you obtain a Kokiri?!" Cried Kotake with excitement.

And Koume wondered, "Is not a Kokiri child incapable of living beyond the realm of the forest? And aren't the mysterious lost woods impenetrable? For none there are who can find their way in that wild abode."

"This one…" Konvilla answered, "wandered through the mysterious woods on his own accord only to become lost and thus even eventually found his way to the outside world and to my hunters. … And as you can see, he is not dead, though the eternal youth is beginning to fade in absence of the power of the father of the forest." Then Konvilla went on to explain with bright countenance as she was quite proud of herself. "The Goron folk of the mountain, among the children of Farore, are the people of Fire. The Zora of the river are the people of Water. And the Kokiri are the people of the Forest. Combined of our power and their spirits, we have what we need to complete our task."

And so the Rova sisters were consent in agreement.

Alas, what was then done there was too cruel for any tale to utter word, and thus as the three were slain, the cauldron bore in essence, the power of the Rova sisters and the spirits of the children of Farore. And in pledge to Demise against the goddesses, the sisters sought to take on in intended mockery, the forms in the likeness of the goddesses themselves. Koume and Kotake took on the likeness of Din and Nayru, and Konvilla took on the likeness of Farore.

In a moment, they were exceedingly fair to behold throughout the world with their red, blue, and green hair. It was as if the goddesses had descended upon the earth incarnate…but then something happened! The cauldron shook with strange and unknown colors, and the earth of the desert about the temple shook in a violent tremor. Konvilla screeched in agony as she immediately withered to death. And she was only found to remain a dissipating green smoke. Koume and Kotake remained, but in repugnant form, disfigured as aged hags. Koume's red hair became as that of fiery flame, and Kotake's blue hair became as frozen sickles of ice. With great squeals, they rushed out of the room downstairs to find that the sect had perished, leaving themselves as the final two to remain.

As they fled back to the fortress, they would explain how it was Konvilla's blame for displeasing the Sand Goddess in bringing ruin to the sect. But when they returned, something happened. The night grew immensely dark and the winds howled with the company of many poes and jackals howling in the night. And there was a wailing of a vai in great pain, so much so that the whole of the tribe was alert in prayer for her. The Rova sisters attended to find that it was Albura of the then chieftain's chief counsel, and she was with child to be birthed that night. For hours she lasted until at last, the babe came forth, and it seemed as if its coming life stole away her breath. In looking upon it with her last breath, she uttered only one word, "Dragmire" she whispered coarsely in her last moment before death, meaning "Death Greeter"

The babe was tanned much darker than the common Gerudo, and it was a 'Voe'. Upon this realization, all present made kneels and bows. And his coming was announced with many voices calling into the night as the howls silenced. "Alas! A King is Born!"

A vai wrapped him, and a circlet was brought that bore a jewel. Now all Gerudo are by custom adorned with a jewel upon their brow in signifying their nation as a people. But this was a Garrohan, the Gerudo ruby to be adorned only by a king. Then the vai took to nurse him in the abode to rest for the night. And the Rova sisters went to their own abode as they would discuss this turn of events that would be the commotion of the town throughout the night. For they understood that the darkness of Demise called forth…had wakened at last.

On the next day, the chieftess' counsel was held to decide upon the raising of the newborn king. Sunlight beamed through great windows, a fire was burning at hearth upon the northern wall, and Oboorusa, the chief sat upon her high seat. Furthermore, the counselors attended in both sitting and standing about the room to one side or the other. Among the counsel, the Rova sisters attended, and they first gave their account of Konvilla's faults toward the Sand Goddess.

Following, came the business of the king. And it was noted how Albura had not been with a voe for conception to take place which indeed was a marvel. Then Koume and Kotake took occasion to speak on the floor again.

"This is no ordinary king, my chieftess and mistresses." Spoke Kotake.

"A child born in the stirring winds of the night without sire." Koume added.

Then Kotake reasoned, "This is no other than the Mejes, the Chosen Son of the Sand Goddess"

And the commotion of the counsel arose as the sisters spoke of a prophecy that stood in legend of the Gerudo. For the legend of the Gerudo is said that a voe is given to be king once every hundred years to be as a gift to save the people from perils of the sands, and that one day, one will be born without sire to become the Mejes, and he will be given for the salvation of their race.

Thus, the sisters offered their service in raising the child in their wisdom, assuring that the rising king will be well suited for his task as ruler, and they concluded that as the task is done, it will serve to redeeming the sect in the eyes of the Sand Goddess. This the chieftess consented to gladly, and so the Rova sisters were tasked to be the babe's surrogate mothers.

"What shall we call him?" Asked one of the counsel.

"'Dragmire' is what his Albura uttered in her last." Added another member.

"While it is respect to honor his mother," Koume started, "Another name will be needed more fitting for a king to be called by."

"Let us call him, 'Ganondorf', 'King of Power'" Kotake name him.

Then the chieftess raised her hand with a final nod, "Then let his name so be called."

Time passed as the child wielded power unknown to the Gerudo, and the witches took delight in him with great hope. So they raised him in their guidance of the ways of Demise, unconsciously, in the dark arts. He loved his people, and he burned with a desire to aid them as far as his power as king could allow. Often he would walk alone upon the sands day and night. The world seemed an enemy to him where only death stood about him in the sand. The sun, the moon, and the wind. Yes, the wind blew threw his crimson hair as the sunlight seared him or moonlight froze him. And the wind brought storms of sand and lightening giving breath to death. But then he looked eastward where there stood stars over a world of life with rich and vibrant growth. The wind there gave gentle ease with comfort. The same wind that brought Hyrule life, brought searing death to the Gerudo desert, and Ganondorf coveted that wind. He was always angry, and as his desire grew, his hatred grew. What bothered him the most was how natural it seemed to grow in him.

The day came when he was twenty, that he petitioned the chief go to war with Hyrule.

"We abide in the valley as we take from the Hylians, and we find ourselves quite capable of living as we are." Answered the chieftess.

But Ganodorf only stood firm. "That is not enough. I will that we take the life of Hyrule."

"You have grown and matured much, young voe, but you are not king yet." Oboorusa reminded, "While I would love nothing more than to see Hyrule on its knees with their beloved grass beneath our feet, war is too great a price to pay. … We are thieves, not murderers."

"Yet what is it then to take life?" Koume contributed, "To steal. Yes?"

And Kotake added. "And what does it mean to invade?... To steal their land." Then she went on to say, "To war is to live the Gerudo way. Let us invade and Take their land."

The Chieftess was not willing to go to war. However, the counsel conceded to the motion, and the people crowded in thirst for it as soon there stood chant in the commotion outside. "To War! Let us go to War!" And to this, the chieftess conceded.

The Gerudo marched and invaded Hyrule for what was to become the Fierce War. And while the Gerudo were not soldiers nor knights, they were fierce warriors, and the war waxed hot between the Gerudo and the Hylians ruled by King Nohansen Hyrule.

As for Ganondorf, he was a cunning warrior as he relished the heat of battle. But there was always a part of him that hated himself for it, yet that part was ever overshadowed in both fear and a swift wrath reborn. It was almost as if he were two people. His flesh simply desired to fulfil one's duty and it would occasionally bear fruits of remorse, but in contrary, his spirit ever waxed hot as a furnace that always burned in a searing malice. Then as time passed, his spirit grew stronger and his heart of flesh had lessened. In flesh, he was Gerudo, but it became apparent that his spirit was something else. Realizing this, Ganondorf listened more earnestly to the Gerudo's legends and the prophecy, and he remembered the teachings of the witches.

Ganondorf became himself a legend among the Gerudo. And they hailed him in great honor. His darkness; however, became more forthcoming in showing fierce malice that would sometimes burn even towards his own people in matters as trivial as a lack of diligence of one's part. They looked on him in fear, a fear that never went away. But they also came to love him as they succumbed to his darkness, believing that such was the cost to rise out of the waste's condemnation. They were convinced that he would save them by the darkness.

Others, such as Nabooru, the chieftess' heir, resented him and his ways, and they would try to sway his counsel if they could. Nabooru, of such position, carried more weight of words, sometimes managing to lighten the darkness and slacken its burden, if only a little. They were thieves, and dishonestly so, if only to survive. But they could not accept the act of taking wrath on the innocent needlessly even for sake of power. They hated the war.

As the Gerudo invasion pressed into Hyrule, the Shiekah proved to be the greatest threat as their skill far surpassed the Gerudo; however, they were a small host and few in number as they were themselves not an army. For the Shiekah assisted and guided the Hylians. Ganondorf took note of this and turned his attention to Kakariko village, and the Rova sisters joined his company in the raid.

The Shiekah were exhausted, and the Gerudo rounded them up. So, Ganondorf gathered the Shiekah, leaving empty houses torn and pillaged. And the one standing wind mill stood still and quiet as no wind gave breeze that day. He questioned the agents of Hylia as he sought what they knew of the ways of the Hylian city and Hyrule Castle. After much toil against many unbreakable spirits, one certain fellow was brought to his attention as the witches came in contact with him. For Bongo Yok was a Shiekah master, and as the witches consulted with him, they learned that Yok and his followers among the Shiekah lived secret lives as they bonded a fellowship of their own, calling themselves the Yiga. And the Rova sisters learned how they sought after the dark arts and that Bongo had turned to rather serve the memory of Demise, the demon king of old. Wherefore, Bongo Yok was only glad to betray the Shiekah to the thieves. And so he showed Ganondorf the archives of the Shiekah in the Shadow Temple in store behind the cemetery. The cemetery was sacred as the Royal Family of Hyrule were laid to rest there, and in a secret cave behind it, there descended in the darkness of the earth the Shadow Temple. Here the Shiekah are buried in their customs. Moreover, it is where they held ceremonies and their counsels of the order. So, Ganondorf was shown the records of everything that the Shiekah had contained of the history of Hyrule and the established kingdom.

Ganondorf learned much in study. And he took great interest in all of the lore of Hyrule so that he spared even the pages of mere customs from burning. He poured himself through the words page after page, and then he found it. The history of the Triforce and the lore after it. This newfound knowledge of the Triforce burned him into a desire of flesh and spirit, exclaiming aloud "Here! Here is the answer! This is the salvation that we have sought!" He mulled over it greatly, and his hunger burned to the point that he was convinced that he would attain it no matter what cost, even through darkness, so that he might wrest the world from the goddesses to a more "noble" answer. So entranced he was in his study of it that he became a scholar of the subject on the lore of the Triforce and Hyrule's.

Amidst the studies, the witches read in comparing greater histories with their own dark articles yet deeper than Ganondorf's lessons of his youth, and they realized something that he did not. For sure enough, before them stood an incarnation of Demise's malice. Ganondorf was Gerudo in flesh, but the devil's malice thrived I his spirit. They were One. And then with this knowledge, the witches flustered with spiteful delight as they believed that their revenge on the goddesses took shape before them.

Ganondorf yielded the Shiekah prisoners to the decisions of the Bongo Yok as Kakariko Village was left to the Yiga. And Bongo Yok was a madman of ruthless rule. The Yiga perveted the resting places of the Shiekah into a place horror and malicious spirits, for they called on the darkness and the temple was changed from coffins to instruments of torture among both the living and the dead. Thus the Shiekah were wiped out, and Bongo Yok had changed himself in dealing with the spirits of the dead in that he conformed to the shadows in a shape renewed.

But sometime after the Gerudo left Kakariko back to their campaign in Hyrule, there came a company of Hyrule's knights at the lead of Impa, and they retook Kakariko and the Yiga were condemned for their crimes.

As for Ganondorf, he took respite from the labor of his campaign to return to the valley. And there he furthered his studies while his spirit ever burned in him as an untamed fire erupting a great furnace. In flesh, Ganondorf simply desired some hope, even if wrath and murder were to give it. Yet, he ever felt a sense of remorse however faint it be. But in spirit, he desired death, pillage, and the destruction of all of his enemies who oppose his will with sheer dominance. Thus, in heart, he was unbalanced and both parts of him believed in the essence of power most to be the greatest virtue achieved.

When Ganondorf grew in stature and became king of the Gerudo, he called for a lay of arms to withdraw from the war in suit for peace. His first action as king. So, he would feign to be honorable and pledge allegiance to the crown of Hyrule, and the actions of the former Gerudo legion were forgiven. Ganondorf would find a way to steal the sacred treasure of Hyrule, the Triforce.

For after all, he is a legend, and he is the King of Thieves.


	3. III The Birth of a Hero

Dark waters stirred in rippling puddles from hooves that thundered in the night after rain. The convoy of carts and wagons bore families crossing the fields of Hyrule. Escorted by the Hyrulean guard, they were led by a knight of blue steel who stood tall in the saddle and rode forefront. But then he raised his arm in halt of the train. For they were met by a company of Hylians that came across distressed, weary, and desperate.

"My lord knight!" Greeted a man who approached to speak, "Have you a moment to aid?"

"What seems to be the trouble?" The knight enquired.

And the man returned. "We were waylaid by Gerudo earlier today as we were taking down our camp. For we were making our way north to Castletown to seek haven. … It was just a company of them of maybe twenty-five; whereby, we were able to hold ourselves well enough to repel them. But we have taken great casualties of wounded and our supplies are mostly damaged."

Then the blue knight bade word to his company and convoy under his charge. "Take them in and care for their wounded as best as you can." Then he turned back to the man. "You are welcome to come with us. … Mr.?"

"Korovan" Said the man gratefully, "And who might you be Sir Knight?"

"Aldil" The knight answered, "Sir Aldil of Lanayru"

And Korovan nodded respectfully, "I shall remember it. And thank you for your kindess in not turning us away. And forgive us the inconvenience of causing your delay and adding weight upon you with our wounded, endangering your own."

"Indeed I must concern first for the safety of our own," Returned Aldil, "and there is great risk as you speak truly. Yet, even so, we cannot turn a blind eye to your needs. Else, we should be guilty as those who attacked you." But then his blue eyes changed demeanor from compassion to a certain anxiousness. "But the less we speak now and the sooner we move, the better." And then Aldil rushed the company to continue onward.

And they traveled eastward through night as Korovan learned that the convoy was moving from near Lake Hylia in the Lanayru province. "Sir Aldil rings a familiar name to me." He spoke in mulling thought with a Lanayruean.

"That is because Sir Aldil is the Second Knight of Lanayru," The Hylian came back with excitement, "overanked in the Hyrulean guard only by Valhes of Lanayru, the First Knight of Hyrule. And Sir Aldil is also a legend for his courage in defense of the people of Hyrule against the menace of the invading thieves. Moreover, it is also said that he is of royal blood; however, distant kin from the majesties of the crown. For his lineage goes back several generations as his ancestral father Denovir was a prince and third brother to Noshir, King and grandson as then heir of the Hero of Sky."

Upon the following day as they continued eastward, they were approaching to be in position just north of Faron. And Korovan's friend Cirza, of a grumbling countenance and known for a sour disposition of character, was displeased with the convoy's course of direction.

"Why in Hyrule would we be heading east to get to Castle Town that is north?" Cirza complained to Korovan, "Will we circle the entire perimeter of Hyrule's Fields in giving the enemy more time and opportunity to strike?"

But a soldier of the guard overheard and was quick to intercede in behalf of his lord's leadership. "Gerudo forces have often occupied the fields of late with the route to their home giving direct access in direct flank of the fields from the west. A direct route would be lengthy and highly probable for attack from exposing ourselves. … My lord hopes to reduce the likelihood of being overwhelmed as we abide the southern marches of the fields until we reach a more preferable position to head swiftly north for the city."

Though Cirza replied angrily, "And how does he calculate which risk outweighs the other? How much does he risk? He is just a knight in leading risk of his "charge"? Does Sir Aldil risk as much as the rest of us?!"

And the soldier paused in a moment of sobriety, "Yes."

To which, Cirza's brows furrowed. "Oh really? How so?"

"His wife and expecting child travel with us on this convoy. And he has been known to have fully devoted his life to them." He paused as he gazed upon Cirza sternly. "They are literally his whole world."

Cirza had no answer, but in his pride he huffed. And then Korovan reprimanded him. "You are wrong to accuse a knight of placing his own interests above the ours when he has so kindly taken us in their care, adding to their risks."

"It begs great questions for complaint when leaders show ill judgment in their decisions." Returned Cirza in sharply excusing himself.

Yet that was not enough for Korovan. "You will be quiet on such matters in the decisions of the knight lest your discord bring a greater risk on all of us. And if you so much as speak again, I will report you to King Nohansen. Then we'll see if his judgment shares in favor of your opinion and actions."

And then Cirza, with a clamped mouth, turned to walk alone in his bitterness.

They made camp that night, and the evening watchmen were set. When Aldil went to check on his wife, a maid hastily approached him with wide eyes. "The Lady has reached her time my lord. She is in labor and I am on my way to fetch forth the physician." And then she sped off.

When he made his way to approach the cart, he withheld by a maid. "You mustn't enter my lord as you will only distract her. She needs to focus on her strength and on the child."

Thus, Aldil paced his way to the edge of camp and stood still and serene as his breath would then pace, and his eyes would dance with excitement and worry. "So, this is what it's like." He spoke aloud as little more than a whisper as Korovan approached. "For a father to anxiously wait on the arrival of his child and for the peace of his laboring wife." He turned to the man, "What say you Master Korovan? It is a daunting thing is not that we must bear such sorrow and pain before the bud blooms into giving blossom and fruit that is so wonderful."

"It may seem daunting at first to endure such pain." Korovan replied. "But it is ever the fruit of Time that we must endure until it blooms into what is so wonderful. So Time always is in the pains endured with the price and the costs that is paid, and it is in the end well worth the payment, the sacrifices made. Just as night is always darkest just before the dawning of the sun. And like the sacrifices you make, my friend, when you make battle with so much that rests on your shoulders in the decisions you must make. War is never kind and wages heavy price, but the price is well compensated when victory at last shines and a wonderful peace is assured. Time can be costly, but it is also redeeming."

When listening to Korovan, more advanced in years, Aldil gazed at the stars in marvel. The silver blossoms upon the sea of darkness never ceased to entertain him since when he was but a boy who would go out at night, contrary to his instructions, on his aspired adventures. And above all his marvels, there stood the six stores of wonder, said to stand witness to the roles of the legendary sages. Each standing over the province where the sages abode. Magnificently, they arrayed brightly in great colors: Ruby, Violet, Sapphire, Emerald, Golden Bronze, and a Yellow Gold. But amidst his gaze, there appeared a marvel great, for a star showed forth to him, simple and new with a white light, and it was brighter than the others. Then to his astonishment, it shot as a shooting star southward to the Emerald Star which stood over them. And there the new star rested with the green one, causing them both to wax even greater beauty as though a tree had thus been born in the sky in taking sprout with issuing leaves of vibrance. In that moment, approached Nordil, his lieutenant.

"My lord." The lieutenant stated, "You have a son."

And when he turned, his eyes bore both excitement, and then after drawing a deep sigh, he made haste to the wagon. And then he looked on them. The woman of golden hair and eyes of lavender held the babe wrapped in fine linen hand woven from sheep wool in Lanayru, and her smile was sweet though bearing the signs of exhaustion.

"Bevereth…" Aldil started, and she looked to him with tender eyes. "I am here." And they both smiled.

"Come." She said, "Come see your son." And when he did, the babe rested with a great smile and a few waving strands of blonde hair. Then when he felt Aldil's touch, his eyes opened in starry irises of blue after having felt 'new hands'

"What shall we call him?" Aldil asked.

Bevereth looked on the boy. "These are dangerous times where only courage finds growth. He has your courage Aldil, born in a heroic age. Let us name him after your forefather, the Hero of Sky." And she looked to Aldil with smiling eyes.  
And Aldil took her words in deep thought, and looked again on the lad. He nodded and then smiled, "Link"

Late, the following day, the convoy drove on. But Cirva noticed that half of Aldil's men were missing. And he went directly to Korovan. "Tell the King what you want. But I saw those men depart in deserting us last night. No doubt it was done at Aldil's orders. Does he and the other half, along with his wife and newborn, plan on leaving us tonight?" And then the two had a heated argument. But that heated argument would soon end as a company of Gerudo approached swiftly, bringing the convoy to a halt. All men took arms in front to the thieves as the women prepared their defense in the carts.

The battle waxed hot, but then the other half that Cirza found missing came in sweeping against the Gerudo from behind. For Aldil knew that the added company's attackers would return with reinforcements, and that they would track them. So, the guard took on the thieves as the convoy made its break northward. One wagon however, was cut off as it was forced southward and ten Gerudo warriors pursued. And Bevereth and Link were in that in that wagon.

Aldil saw it, and pursued swiftly on his steed. But this company was restrained northward in protection of the train, and Aldil was already gone before they could account for the missing.

Aldil intercepted the Gerudo in dismantling two of the desert riders, but then the others were aware. Four of them stopped abruptly, laying lance downward to break his momentum, but his mount jumped with his blade beheading one on his right. And then another he took after the steed's landing who had not expected the feat. But then the remaining two stood mounted on both of his flanks. Then they took to him with lance in jousting match from both directions. Yet the knight, of lithe armor, sunk spur as his mount drove forth in blocking the one to his right as he, himself, leaped backwards on the ground in time to grab his foe's lance in jousting his leftward foe. Moreover, he slew the one that remained with sword before she managed to position herself with her dagger.

Eventually, the wagon lost its driver as the geldings galloped uncontrollably until the wagon eventually crashed. The Gerudo took their time in approaching the wagon, not suspecting that any had survived until they lifted the canvas covering in finding a weak Bevereth, dazed from the wreck, holding her newborn child tightly. They stared upon her and spat at her, speaking harsh words in the desert tongue. And eventually, they were about to slay her and the child, but then Aldil crashed into them on the ground. And rising he slew two with a swift stroke, and then he danced blades with the remaining two until he took the opportune moment in striking one down. However, in doing so, he exposed himself which his last enemy took advantage of, and ran him through. Yet his strength did not wain to nothing before drawing his foe into his own blade.

Bevereth mustered strength to stand with Link her arms as she approached her fallen knight, only in time for him to utter in final words. "I love you Bevereth…and Link." And then ended Aldil, the Second Knight of Lanayru, kin to the throne; whereas, the Lady wept grievously. But it wasn't long that when she raised her eyes, she beheld more thieves approaching on the horizon.

So, in a moment of desperation, she took Link with what strength she had and she fled into the nearby woodlands of Faron. Yet just as she was entering the tree line, an arrow struck her from a vai's bow. Intentionally, she went through the fairy woods there, for none save the courageous and wise have learned to venture the majestic paths. But further eastward lied woods that were dark and twisted, the Lost Woods, and not even the wise may find their way there.

In the Fairy Woods however, Bevereth made her way under starlight, for dusk had fallen, and every breath she had left hung on a thread of hope when at last, she came to the broad meadow of the Great Deku Tree.

He stood tall in rivaling a great foothill, and his breadth of lumber was as vast as a great hall. The boughs stretched out far and wide, being themselves ancient, and his leaves were various kinds spanning from oak to beech. So, were his colors vibrant and diverse upon this autumn eve. In place of large eyebrows there stood great branches, bark of his form was extruded forth as that of a nose, and a vast crack spanned a great arch as it gave impression of a mouth. But nay, it was a mouth as he opened forth to speak with his fading guest. And his voice spoke in soft breath of the wind as that of a father comforting his child, yet it was deep as it revealed his age as ancient as Time itself.

"What do you seek, fair Lady, of the forest lands so strange from realms and towns of Hyrule?" The Great Deku Tree asked.

"I seek you, dear Father of the forest." She answered earnestly.

And he returned with great care. "And what would a Hylian seek of the Father of the Forest?"

"As I am a daughter of the children of Hylia," Bevereth began shakily, "I do not seek solace for my grief and loss of strength. But while I am fading, I come to plea for the future of my Son."

The tree held his breath as he beheld the lad, and in seeing his spirit, he recognized it in recollection of time ages past. "It is not in the nature of the forest to harbor the life of without in its abode. This forest signifies youth of creation and spirit of the world. Ironic to your stated request, as the world here will establish his future, Time will have it that he will assure a future for the world. Though I fear that it will be at great cost. I know him in that I know that Time has brought him here. And I cannot deny your plea."

A swarm of the fairies that perched in the tree's limbs came down as bright and colorful little orbs to take the lad. And so Bevereth kissed him and named him before her host. "Goodbye Link, I love you." And then the fairies, in joint strength, hauled him away.

Afterwards, she mustered enough strength to approach in lying herself against the tree's bark in embrace where she uttered "Thank you" when she passed. And there her body laid until morning when the Great Deku Tree summoned the Kokiri as the children of the forest were tasked to bury her before him in the meadow, and a Deku Nut was planted to her memory.

Thus, Link would be raised as a 'boy of the forest'


	4. IV Of Peace and a Shrouding Darkness

Ten years later.

The blonde girl of ten was in seat at a desk of beech wood. Her eyes were attentive as if in thought of something most important and sobering. And her hands took quill and pen upon the leaf of the book that she had entitled, A Journal: for notes and thoughts of things that I, Princess Zelda Hyrule, find most concerning.

And true to its name, the leaves bore notes on most intrinsic value concerning the Triforce. In fact, it seemed that she had focused her life's concerns upon the Triforce. For every leaf captured her notes and thoughts of everything thing that she had knowledge of concerning it, even detailing the keys to its access. She even included most intrinsic studies of the Temple of Time, its history, and the Master Sword. Moreover, she would have added notes of her fears of possibilities and her cynicism of logistic affairs.

But today she wrote a new entry, and the window's light upon the pages paled from grey clouds.

"It may sound prejudice of me for what I now have to say of concern. For indeed dark memories overshadow me in thought of my deceased mother who fell casualty to the Fierce War with the Gerudo that now seems to me to be so long ago. And while she had taught me much concerning the gift of the goddess Hylia's blood and our inherited mantle over keeping the Triforce, there was so much I had left to learn that none else could teach. ... Sigh, my dear friend and caretaker, Impa, has aided me along with Father so much for a great part of learning this mantle. Even so, I have devoted every ounce of my being to be well studied of it. The warnings that I proposed to Father have been respectfully discarded as he smiles while he tries to feign careful consideration of my counsel. But I see through his eyes into his heart that he sees my word only as the folly of a child's youth delving into greater matters than she may yet mantle. How I love him so, but in such discouraging moments, I miss Mother so dreadfully. Wherefore, a shadow prevails upon me when e'er I hear mention of the Gerudo.

Even so now, that shadow returns to me as it now approaches our very doorstep. For a king has risen amongst the Gerudo in their mysterious manner, a loathsome warrior of infamous legend from the war, and yet now he comes.

But...he comes to seek peace.

Ganondorf. ... The name alone sends a certain fear that I am unsure of. Perhaps as he manifests himself, it will be made clear to me why I fear it so.

I am unsure if there is any relation, but I had a dream last night which seemed oddly specific. However, it was vague at the same time.

For a great storm of shadow brewed over the land and it covered all life that grows therein. But that tender life cannot grow under such darkness, and ever greater it loomed until there was no light left to grace even the hand before one's face. And great malice gave thunder in that storm as it quaked the earth as if to rule if not destroy it. ... Yet ... Lo, there was a light that gained my attention; wherewith, I looked south with eyes afresh. And there from the forest, the light shined as a young lad of seemingly my own age came out thereof, and there was a fairy with him of blue light. No, it was not the fairy that gave shine with such pure illuminance as rather it was the bright jewel that the lad carried. And the jewel was emerald in giving one such an impression to almost believe that its light could be planted and take growth as any living thing. ... After much consideration, it has dawned on me in the recollection of my studies that that was indeed the Kokiri Emerald of the Spiritual Stones. ... And as the boy bore the light, other lights shined forth to meet it, and even the peoples aided him as they brought in offering the other spiritual stones: the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire. Then as the lights met, a new light broke forth through the clouds above and washed the lands whole from the darkness that was then no more.

I honestly don't know what to say or think. ... I have mentioned it this morning to lady Impa, and she advised that while it was clear that my mantle was at work, that I should be patient and observant with diligent heed as I watch the surrounding events that should take place whether it be soon or later, and that someday, it would become clear. But she went on to warn that seeing matters that concern the future is a dangerous tool, for often as one seeks to alter it, the worst scenario imaginable come to pass while the alteration renders to no avail.

So, I write this for sake of my memory for when it should come to pass.

I must admit, that while I do not mean to presume relativity, I am now even more concerned of the peace talks that are to ensue today. ... I pray to the goddesses that I am wrong."

Zelda set her quill down, and she stood up from the desk as she paced her way to the fire of the study. Her eyes carried a weight that seemed to match in ire with the coals of the burning flame. But to her distraction, an attendant made entry.

"My lady ... it is time to make ready."

She made no answer as her blue irises made no stir, but at length, she drew away her features from the glow as she gave response. "So it is. ... Tell the maidens that I will await them in my chambers for preparation."

Today was a new day for Hyrule as it meant the end of a long standing era of bloodshed. For while the Hylians were well trained and executed in their arms for battle, the Gerudo were a fierce and fanatic enemy.

Noon struck high and the winds ceased. Sunlight graced all in a well anticipated day of much hope and possible merriment. So, the horns bellowed out from Gerudo horns of desert tusks, and the Hylian trumpets sung out in answer. Thus, the bridge lowered in permitting entrance to the Gerudo escort.

Hyrulean guards stood along the main road in securing passage throughout the city. Behind them stood the crowds of hopeful and doubtful faces, wordless with a reverent silence.

The Gerudo women in company marched with tall and nimble stature, and they stood stern with indifferent faces. Upon riding a white steed to greet the welcomed guests was Valhes, the First Knight and chief of the Blue Knights of Lanayru. Sapphire aligned his armor, his helm was meshed with pearl, and his shield bore the crest of the goddess Lanayru.

"Welcome to the city of Hyrule, your majesty! I am Valhes, the First Knight of the King's court. I was sent to escort you to his majesty's halls." The knight announced in greeting.

And Ganondorf's dark armor seemed to devour the sun's light as opposed to embracing it, though his bright crimson hair gleamed in it fair. "My thanks to you Sir Knight and to the courtesy of his majesty's court. I pray that we do not tarry in prolonging a possible end to our bitterness."

Valhes gave nod with an arm swaying in gesture, "This way my lord." And so they rode forth to the castle of Hyrule.

The court was magnificent as it stood with many pillars and many seats in order of the noblemen, knights, regents, and judges. And before the court lay the sanctum wherewith sat the throne, and there King Nohansen Hyrule did have seat in judgment of his rule. The queen's throne did naturally sit empty, yet was her crown rested upon its seat in reverence. Moreover, Princess Zelda took stand with the lords and ladies of the provinces beside the keep, and so Zelda observed the proceedings with Impa at her side. And Mairus of the Vanguard stood by on her guard.

So, it came at last that Ganondorf presented himself in the courts of the king of Hyrule as the king of the Gerudo. And Zelda looked upon him as his armor challenged the light of the court's lanterns, candles, and windows. His crimson hair; however short, bespoke of a youth burning in strength, and it glistened in notice to all who beheld it as if it spoke to proclaim to be a crown itself, like a mane that adorns the majesty of a lion. And yet his true crown dressed out in a simple chain of pure gold as yellow as the hot sun over the desert's waste, and it held a simple jewel of signature heirloom of his people. The Garohan was crimson and it was the Gerudo ruby. And a great weight fell upon Zelda as she saw him and the dream stirred in her mind to smite her in the heart. A great dread then befell her heart as some unknown foreboding had taken hold upon her mind.

The Gerudo king stood forth and bowed, "I am honored and grateful for receiving audience with your majesty my dear Nohansen."

"And rest assured that I ... am most thankful for your gracing us with your presence for this proceeding." Answered Nohansen with stoic courtesy.

Then Nohansen went on to continue with enquiry, "So, my lord Ganondorf, what do you offer in terms of peace between our peoples?"

Ganondorf stood with a grim face and presented honor in his stance. "Though I have wrought much, personally, in the damage of this conflict as a warrior, I was but a youth of duty in subjection to his elder chiefs, and my actions, though brutal, bear as such. But it was not until now that I have received the throne in rule of my people as thirty years is considered to be of age; whereby, it is now my place to judge and call for such decisions. ... As king, I believe it befitting for the best interests of my people and to our mutual benefit to cease the bloodshed in seeking peace. Thus, I declare that this shall be my first act upon the throne, to call upon the king of Hyrule for peace and end this war that has weighed heavy upon our generation."

Nohansen sat unmoved as he pondered, and he had to admit that Ganondorf's reasoning was indeed convincing, but on what terms and conditions does he require? For the Gerudo had been notably an ambitious people; wherefore, it seems odd for there to be no "strings attached" to such a proposition.

"And on what terms of conditions do you and your people require of us for securing such a blessing?" Enquired the king of Hyrule.

But lord Dragmire remained unmoved, "I require nothing of thee O King, and to ensure the sincerity of my treaty..." He stood forth in taking kneel with a bowed head to Nohansen's astonishment, "... I pledge to you my allegiance and the allegiance of my people to be just as strong in bond in following the example of the Zoras and the Gorons. ..." And in rising his head, his crimson eyes had a yellow glint, "... We will answer to you and the legacy of your throne." And at that his eyes strayed to the girl with newly yellow irises meeting blue. Zelda's heart had stopped in that moment and she labored wearily in her will to not faint then and there before the court and council. And when she faltered, he smiled.

Ganondorf returned his gaze as the king on the throne raised his hand for drawing the attention of all. And when the gaze of all answered his beckoning, Nohansen raised his other hand with his scepter of judgment. Standing then, he declared his decision, "Then let us join and heal the wounds of many hearts, give memory to the fallen with planted shrouds over graves, and let us seek ways to help one another grow to a life of fulfillment. I accept your pledge my lord, and may we become brothers."

Then with the king's beckoning hand upon Dragmire's shoulder, the Gerudo king rose as their hands took grip in embrace. In that moment, the trumpets of Hyrule and the horns of the Gerudo sounded in great harmony, and the people shouted in rejoicing that was heard without and was carried on by the voices and merriment of the people of the city. Thus, much celebration was carried forth with great festivities. The Fierce War was over.

Princess Zelda, however, did not celebrate. For though she was glad of the end of a long time of blood shed that had lasted most of her life, her mind grew heavy, and her heart was dim. Her dream ne'er left her mind.

After a few days, there came a time as Zelda made to the halls of fire to settle there. For there music was always played by great minstrels, and stories were told and songs of great tales were sung. It was a place of much thought, recreation, and easement of a wearied mind. And so it was for Zelda as she desired to rest her grief for a spell, so she took seat by one of the many fires which glowed in the hall.

Nevertheless, Nohansen with observance, joined her. "Pray tell me daughter, why do you not rejoice?" He asked as he took another seat near to her side. "Your countenance is fallen. What troubles you?"

The girl sighed, and with an unmoving gaze to the fire, she replied, "Remember how mother was able to see things that few saw and even pieces of a future would reveal itself to her by perception or some random dream?"

He nodded in acknowledgment, "I remember, and her wisdom is greatly missed along with her friendship to me." He sighed then, but turned again to her, "I take it that her memory is what troubles you?"

But she shook her head in a nay, "I believe that the power of the goddess' blood has grown. For I am having dreams." His ears perked with interest as he heard her, and she continued. "And that is what is troubling me, for I have had a dream. And I fear what it means terribly."

"What was it?" The king asked sincerely.

Then she told him of her dream in every detail without missing a single note of it. And he was eager to digest its presentation and its meaning. But in the end, he saw nothing.

"Perhaps, as you grow, your dreams may become more clearly interpretable." The man stated.

But she went on to tell him of her heart while the opportunity was present. "I had this dream the night before the peace talks, and when I saw Ganondorf..." She paused as her father's eyes narrowed, "...King Dragmire...a weight of foreboding bore down upon me and has not lightened off since. ... I am sure this man takes form of what the dream represents in darkness. ..."

Then her father replied, "Daughter, you are young without a teacher on your abilities. How can you be so sure of what it is you see? Is it not possible that you may be quite naive on the matter?... I believe that you have much yet to learn and practice before you can master the nature of such content."

"Even so, Father, does his presented sincerity not warrant question?" Zelda asked, "Do his words align with his past actions? It is strange is it not, that he would see to such an agreement without seeing to terms or conditions whereby it maybe secured? For they are an ambitious people, Father."

Calmly, Nohansen's head cocked in question before giving his response. "His actions do not match because then he was not king, and the mantle of such responsibility often opens the eyes of one who seeks the well being of his people. He is king, and this is his first act which pays to great significance. ... I cannot turn away with so much at stake. ... It is time for peace, surely. And we must try!"

Zelda remained silent as she knew that he would not be swayed, and that this was an argument that she could not win.

"Now," He said, "...let us speak no more on this matter. It is decided, and the Gerudo will be welcomed and treated as our own."

Time passed, and to Zelda's distress, she found that Ganondorf had gained access (through proper channels, accordingly) to even the deepest archives as he studied. And of all things to study, he gave his attention to every matter that concerned the Triforce. Noting this, Zelda was convinced of what he was after, and she always kept Impa informed of her observance. But with the king's mind so set and made, there was little that she could do.

Princess Zelda held her breath one day as she strode through the library, glancing across the hall with a great number of bookcases to catch her view. But when returning her view, next to her at a bookcase standing by was Ganondorf with a book in his hands. Another great text on historical matters.

"It is said that you are a scholar of artifices of history and great matters of Hyrule's foundation. Is that not so, my lady?" King Dragmire said in a cool tone.

"My learning is significant on great matters." She replied shortly.

He then turned to the pages in his hand. "The writings speak of the three goddesses in their creation. The history of Hyrule is very intriguing to me and how the Hylians are the children of Hylia, sworn to her service in hiding great power with safe keeping. And then there is the history of the alliance of the children of Farore in allegiance to the king of Hyrule." He paused for a moment as if thoughtfully pondering. "The children of Farore: the Zoras, the Gorons, and many others in rock, sea, and forest. And I find this alliance very interesting as they were each given a spiritual stone as token in grace to their good will." Zelda's ears perked when he mentioned the stones, and he went on. "These stones bear great significance to Hyrule's history do they not? Even as your enshrined temple here in the city as it bears witness to its memory."

Her eyes narrowed as he came to a finish, "History bears many lessons my lord. ... And while some share similar root, they often have different meaning."

"True enough." He answered, "But even so, I find it a very curious tale." And then he took leave from her as he went to study in further texts of buried covers.

Then Zelda huffed her breath as her eyes shook and she made her way to her study.

However, while nothing was out of ordinary and everything was in its place, she noticed certain hand marks on many items, and a dust of golden sand that lighted here and there. ... It was obvious to her as she gasped to realize that someone had searched the chamber. ... And after piecing together the conversation with the given event, she gasped again in her thoughts. 'He's seeking the ocarina.'

So, now matters had not only been dark but have grown cold as Zelda's heart dwelt in fear.

A month had gone by and the princess would spy on Ganondorf and his meetings with her father. Even so she did today as she stood in peering through a stained glass window into the inner sanctum. And there King Dragmire was as he walked before the king in bowing before him. Her heart sank ever further as she saw her father succumbing to this man with evil eyes. Those eyes ever tormented her in piercing her soul and searing her mind long after seeing their presence. But her father would not listen. What hope was there to prevent this dark lord from attaining the heirloom of her people, the Triforce?

But then Zelda heard something as she felt a presence standing near, and she turned immediately to be startled in finding the most fascinating and unimaginable sight ever. For a boy stood before her with such simple green cladding, and just how in Hyrule did he get here in the courtyards of the keep? And...wait, ... is that a ... a fairy? And a sudden light of dreams dawned upon her eyes in such joy.

The princess came to know this remarkable lad, and a unlooked for smile swelled in her heart. And as they came to know one another, so hatched her plot to undermine the ambitious Dragmire. For as he intimidated her, she now knew what she must do.


	5. V The Life of the Forest

Deep in the night, there was a small home carved out of a great stump of a deku tree. And while it wasn't large enough for an adult to fit into comfortably, it was quite convenient for the accommodations of someone the size of a child.

For indeed it housed a child, or so the Hylians and Men of the world would call her. But of truth she wasn't exactly a child as she was indeed old, the oldest of her standing kind alive today, for she was a Kokiri. Of the Kokiri the outside world had very little understanding. Only the Hylians knew of them, and even then they were few to have heard of them whereas what brief knowledge was recorded was kept in store of the Hyrule Castle's library in archive. But even then their knowledge was quite limited of Kokiri nature and they simply understood them to be but mere children of eternal youth whereby the records take to call them 'eternal children' While it is true that they maintain a child's spirit in nature, there are a few who have been known to grow in great maturity to exceed the very wise and be more adult in heart than the noblest Hylian. But no matter how mature one could be, a Kokiri would ever have the merry cheerfulness to frolick in its child like nature. Yet the girl was one of such as she was living at five hundred years.

Deeply asleep she was in her small cozy bed as her hair splayed out in emerald green, and a green orbed fairy slept nestled amidst her locks thereof. But then to her irritation many lights of divers colors illumined her home, and she woke to find many fairies carrying a great bundle.

"What?" She started in marvel, but she was interupted.

"Hold it gently!" They commanded in small and quiet voices. Then the fairies laid the bundle upon her lap as then her hands took to hold of it as it had been carefully wrapped.

As most of the orbs had then departed, one remained. "I am Navi, the Fairy of the Deku Tree's highest bough. Open the bundle easily, Saria."

And as Saria opened it, she gazed with befuddled awe and her emerald eyes dazzled as not knowing whether to be cheerful or to be overwhelmed. For the bundle wrapped a baby with slender blond hair and his small cute smile, and she reflected his smile with her own. But she was quickly confused as her consciousness stirred with questions and she looked up to the fairy as then her own fairy stirred to fly and hover by her side.

But the fairy of blue answered Saria's questioned face. "It is not a Kokiri babe as he is Hylian. … The Great Deku Tree desires that you take care of him as he grows until the child can handle himself to live among the other Kokiri." Navi paused before she approached Saria with a final question. "This is quite a responsibility that the Deku Tree entrusts with you Saria, but he does not require it of you as the choice is yours…" Saria looked solemnly then upon the fairy as it continued, "Will you care for the child?"

Then Saria took a deep breath as she thought for a moment, and when the babe grasped her finger she knew the resolution of her heart. "I will, gladly."

"Then your guardian fairy, Falith, will guide you in your care for him, and if there be any issue that she cannot answer, then do not hesitate to seek counsel from the Great Deku Tree."

"I will guide her." Falith acknowledged soberly.

And Saria nodded, "Alright." But then she asked with a cocked head, "What is his name?"

"Link." Navi replied before leaving.

To which Saria looked upon the child in her arms as her smile deepened with joyful eyes. "Link" she whispered to herself.

Upon the following days, Saria tended to Link as she prepared a temporary small bed in her little home, feeding him milk from the local foothill goats. She was amazed at how fast he grew over the days and few years, and he was known by all in the village to be the youngest Kokiri; whereas, none save herself knew that the woman who was buried was his mother.

His mother. Saria thought on it, for after all she now was filling the role of his mother to care for him so. But she never felt like a mother as rather to her it was clear that she was a sister to a beloved brother who increasingly would grow to be her friend just as the other Kokiri. And she was content.

Link eventually grew to handle his own amongst the others, and he took the initiative to select his house to be carved for him. And as close as he was to Saria, he chose the tall trunk that stood down hill next to hers. There he prepared his home high as he prepared a balcony with a ladder for his porch. Saria called this a courageous act of Link as he was unique of all of the others. For no Kokiri was brave enough to stand the heights of it to visit him for many months; whereas, he had built and carved out his house himself. It was a humble abode made simple as he had set his bed and pantry shelves with a table set in center for himself and any guest who might attend to visit him, for he loved company as long as company did not include some unexpected trouble. And of course there was a fireplace made at a knot hole where the hole traveled upward in shaft to serve as a chimney.

Like his Kokiri "kin", he wore a green forest tunic with a short pants that Saria had sewn for him, and as she taught him to sew for himself in the event he should need it, he made himself something that the other Kokiri did not have, a hat. For while there were few Kokiri who climbed trees, there were none who climbed as high as him to be willing to reach the sun in its full blast of light. Thus, he learned the need for a hat; whereby, he made one. Unusual though for a hat, it was tall and long as it extruded upward and flowed behind him in a great green point as though it were a single lock of hair. He wasn't sure what inspired him to make it in such shape, for it seemed as though his heart had crafted it from some different memory of its own, which he understood not.

Yes, the lad was Set to live as a Kokiri, except for one thing. A fairy. For all of the Kokiri had guardian fairies to aid them in wisdom in their walks of life. For as the Great Deku Tree was their father, the fairies were there to aid them in place of a mother, and of course later on, as they grew long in age, as their dearest friend. A Kokiri was one in the bond with his or her fairy, and thus they were one with the Forest. And this was a defining aspect of being a Kokiri. But Link was different, for no fairy ever came to him. And for that, to Link's distress, the Kokiri shunned him. But that is not to say that they had intended to be mean to him. For they surely would talk with him and give him due attention, yet there was always a lack of respect and not all cared for him.

But Link still had friends. There were the Kow-it-all brothers, Forest Spirits who the Great Deku Tree had brought to form from the same spirit. For while they would be quick to point out every discrepancy of Link's actions, they would do so for anyone, all for the sake of learning. They would take notes, and always declare the odd matters of facts to all in their presence whether anyone wished to hear their input or not. Link was of the few who gave them respect and listened to them more attentively, though they were to be heard with a grain of salt. A good friend of Link's was Fado, but which Fado? For Fado had a sister named Fado, and she regarded Link to be a person of indifference in her opinion altogether. But while the brother didn't spend a whole lot of time with Link, he was soft spoken with fewer words than his fellow Kokiri, and he treated Link with kindness.

The worst of all though was Mido, the Kokiri Boss, or so he proclaimed himself to be. A bully would be the name that the outside world would have given him. He was outspoken for his own name, and with his brute strength he found advantage over others to carry out his will through intimidation if not manipulation. Mido was fond of Saria, and as Link was honored by the Great Deku Tree and well favored by the attention of the green haired girl, Mido's heart grew ever hard in envy. He hated Link, calling on Link's differences, naming him "Fairy-less" Moreover, he encouraged the shunning of the lad.

Yet, Saria always stood for him and all listened to her with most reverence. For of truth, she was the true leader of the Kokiri under the Great Deku Tree. She had a heart of kindness with a smile of sun's light in spring that no one could match. And thought she was knowledgeable, she was humble and respected everyone for their beliefs. Even so, she was very wise so that her countenance bespoke of a maturity unparalleled by any other Kokiri. Wherefore, she was often seen as the village mother. She could be lighthearted at times with her cheerful smiles and bad jokes, and only she with her merry heart and mature kindness could make Link truly smile. Her irises were emerald green as so was her hair which reach down to her shoulders to rise with a curl. Her tunic shirt with short pants matched her eyes and hair as the color of the forest always served signature to her personality.

In time, Saria and Link were scarcely seen in absence of each other's presence. And they became the closest of friends with their hearts inseparable. They would travel about the forest, play games, and have adventures, always together, even in the Lost Woods where none of the other Kokiri would go. And there the spirits of the forest would come to sing before them, the dark shade of the trees would dance, and the Skull Children would come out to play in mischief. And Saria would take Link to their usual place where she would play her wooden fairy ocarina where the forest spirits would illumine the forest and the forest spirits would dance in obeisance to her will. Link never understood this, but it never mattered. He was there having a great time with his dear friend who had always cared for him.

There was a time as Link was six years of age that the Kokiri were at play. All of the girls would stand upon the hill crests and the boys with sticks and bark shields would fight in game to be victorious for the honor of the "fair maiden" Many girls would cheer frantically with excitement, and made their gifts ready to be given to their noble heroes. Some girls were not as entertained by the heroic games so that they battled for their own honor, taking sling shots and shooting at the battling heroes in disregard as to who should be the victor.

As Saria stood on her hill, there were none to fight for her as none dared to challenge Mido. But then there was Link and he and Mido had at it in such epic suit, that it never mattered how often Link was pinned or beaten down, he would only rise again. Link was persistent and endurable as Mido was tiring, and Saria knew that Link would be victor. For she believed in Link, her heart choosing him. So, she looked abroad with such excitement and found a flower on the hill to give to her winner. But then the fuss of the boys came to the hill top as the two cast themselves on the ground. Saria seeing it, rose in evasion just in time to not be overwhelmed in the impact. Yet the flower was ruined being utterly smashed, and her emerald irises wept bitterly so in such sadness that the boys saw it and misunderstood the context of it.

Their faces were red and so pitiful that Mido tossed Link aside with disdain, and brushed aside his orange hair, "Fairy-less, now you've done it! You've hurt her!" And the orange head ran off as though to shed blame upon Link. Saria was speechless from the shock of losing the gift that she had set her heart upon to give Link, and now Link pouted as though his day had ruined. For he and Mido were both equally guilty.

But then unlike Mido, Link stood up to Saria with head bowed, taking her hand in his. "I am sorry Saria. I shouldn't have hurt you and we should had known to be more safe." Saria was about to smile and embrace him, but he had left as he went in shame. Yet her heart ever smiled upon him, for he was different than the others. Link had a nobility about him that the others did not have, courage. As they were best friends, she grew very fond of him.

Link, lacking a fairy and not relishing the differences he had with the others, was very solemn and smiled seldom. Only with Saria did he truly smile. And their days of frolicking and fun were many for years.

But then came a night as all the Kokiri Forest was asleep and the Great Deku Tree's meadow still that there loomed a shadow in the great tree's presence.

"What business dost thou have with the Father of the Forest, oh King of Thieves?" The breath of the great deku uttered.

The man stood in armor that absorbed the darkness of night as no starlight might reflect upon it, and he removed his helm as his crimson hair illumined the meadow as a fire gives light to a hall. "I come on business of spiritual affairs."

"Ah, yes." Replied the tree, "The Stone. But what spiritual matters as that can call for a thief to claim it? Indeed have you not manipulated the royalty of Hyrule and even intimidated the princess concerning these matters. Ambition reeks about you, Dragmire, as death reeks about the hungering lust of a wolfos in desire to feed."

"As the King of Thieves," Responded Ganondorf, "I am the lord of Darkness as it only is honest with ambitions for the taking, and that is of itself an equality. The world of Light deceives all from the ability to reach for one's own every desire. Yet we suffer merely the cruelty of light's burning purity and the bitterness of the wind's cleansing breath."

"What then is thy desire, oh king?" Asked the Great Deku Tree solemnly.

Then Ganondorf looked up into the tree's shaded barked eyes. "A power… to a more noble answer."

"A reshaping rather." The Great Deku Tree returned gravely, "But no matter how noble you esteem to make your answer, you will only find destruction. For any will that would defy the will of the goddesses will bring doom upon the world as well as to itself." The great tree took a long and patient breath as he then proclaimed his answer. "The Spiritual Stone of the Forest was meant to be safeguarded against such wills as is yours. You may not have it."

But Ganondorf was persistent to pursue argument. "Is that your answer when my will may bring your forest into smoke and have every child made a thrall?"

"Though you have the power to conquer Hyrule, even the forests, I could never give to you the Stone, and there is no power of wills save for the goddesses themselves that can contend with my will."The tree returned.

"Fair be it. … Then I know my course of action." The evil replied.

And then Ganondorf called up with the voice of a wretched raven which spoke of death, and then a great shadow loomed into the meadow. And as Ganondorf's power did cast the tree into a great sleep, the great shadow proceeded to force its way into the mouth the great tree.

And so Ganondorf left.

No fairy was aware of Ganondorf's visit as his darkness had put all in the forest into a deep and troubled sleep. And Link's sleep was frightfully troubled.

For in Link's sleep he had dreamed of a great darkness, and in that darkness was produced a great fierce storm in a dark night unlike any the world had seen. Yet Link found himself standing on a field unfamiliar to him, and before him stood a great castle wall at mote with a draw bridge that then opened. And out galloped a white stallion with a mysterious rider of unknown character, and with her was carried a frightened girl of royalty and the girl's eyes beckoned to Link as though he could help. But then she was gone into the night. In following, he felt a great dread as a looming presence stood behind him, beckoning his attention, and as he turned about he fell from fear at the sight of a man of dark armor with crimson hair standing tall in the saddle in mount a dark horse. And the man laughed deeply as he held up his hand giving birth to a new light that grew within the hand, and then that light issued forth to envelope Link in a great pain unlike anything he could imagine, burning him as though a fire had been set upon him. And throughout his sleep the pain never ceased.

But then he felt very heavy and slow as all went dark, and then something tried to stir him as a light pierced his consciousness. A small light in the enveloping darkness appearing cold and distant as that of a blue star, and a voice begun to wake his thought in a pleasant note. A note that soon became immensely annoying.

"Wa … Wake … Hey! … Wake Up!" It repeated, and then the small voice became the more agitated. "Listen! Can the world really depend on such a lazy boy?"

Grumbling then, the boy of ten stirred himself as he sat himself up, and his blue eyes widened as there flew a blue fairy before him.

"Finally!" The fairy whispered to herself as then she turned to greet him. "Hello!"

"Hi…" Link replied with a crackly voice.

And the blue fairy didn't hesitate to conduct her announcements. "I am Navi, and I am here to be your guardian. …" At that Link's mouth dropped in bewilderment. "And the Great Deku Tree wants to see you immediately. Urgently!"

Link was so excited that he could hardly hold himself from bursting with a cheerful yell, but then he paused as the weight of her words dawned on him. "Urgently?" His head cocked then, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" She returned, "It's very important!"

Then Link zipped out his door as quick as he could onto the balcony, and there he paused as his eyes had to adjust to the light. Soon, he could see clearly as he overlooked the village. There were many great stumps carved into houses each, quite simple and convenient for dwelling, and the sunlight trickled through the leaves of the over head tree branches. And the light licked upon the dancing grass blades in meadow before the houses. In the center sat a great burning place where a fire burned every night for by-passers who felt cold could warm themselves. It gave light about the village in the evenings, and some would occasionally cook about it, preparing delicate meals of rabbit, potatoes, special stews, and the such like. And upon special events with great parties, there was built a bon fire as the Kokiri would gather around. For at the bonfire were held some of the best occasions of feasts, sing-a-longs, games, and every festivity the Kokiri could think of. Except of course, the most special occasions were held before the Deku Tree himself as they would have the Feasts of Seasons, the days of the Goddesses, and more. To the north of his house, the hill climbed upon which the Know-It-All brothers lived in their isolated standing. For few liked being around the "Know It Alls" Then to the south, next door was Saria's house, and then he stood guiltily as she came running to his house.

"Yahoo! Link!" Saria excitedly and seeming half annoyed shouted, "How can you sleep so long?! Our whole morning has been wasted!"

Link's face turned red as he answered with a shrug, and then he immediately hurried down the ladder where he quickly greeted Saria. "Good morning Saria. I'm sorry for sleeping in."

But Saria's attention was turned to the blue orbed fairy that flew beside him. "Is that your fairy?" She enquired with hope.

Though Link didn't get to answer as Navi spoke instead, "Yes, I am. And we have to see the Deku Tree immediately!"

Saria then was excited with enthusiasm. "Link, that's great! That is just Fantastic! … Now you're truly a Kokiri who no one can question. Even Mido will be stumped."

"This could be the best day of my life." Link added, "A fateful day at least."

To which Navi's orb lolled about as though it were a rolling eye. "Let's go!"

"Come with me?" Link beckoned to Saria as she stood serene with a smile that was warm and her voice as vibrant as the sunlight that pierced the sheltering trees.

"Of course, I will come."

And so they went together as they went to the pathway as great boulders of the hillside stood fast as that of a great natural gateway. There before them, stood Mido as he was talking with his fairy. But then as Link came, he stood firm as if he were a sentry. "What do you think you're up to Mr. No Fairy?"

"I come to see the Great Deku Tree." Link proclaimed.

Mido however, merely sniggered, "And why would a 'Fairy-less' need to see the Deku Tree? For only true Kokiri have business with the Forest's Father. And as long as you do not have a Fairy, you are not even a 'real man'!"

"And just what do you suppose I am?!" Navi sarcastically asked, beaming a little red in her orb with annoyance.

Then at the sight of her, Mido fell back in shock with eyes so wide that one would had supposed that they could had popped out. "What?! You … You have a Fairy?"

"Yes!" Link answered with a proud and emboldened stance, and the Deku Tree has summoned me to see him urgently."

For a moment, the brown eyes of the orange head bully twitched with puzzlement. Yet, he eventually regained his stance, and declined Link's passage, "Even so, the Deku Tree has bidden me to stand ward of his meadow. No one, under any circumstances are to pass."

"What?" Saria stood forth in disgust, "After the Deku Tree as directly summoned Link, you are going to withhold him in contrary to the Deku Tree's authority."

But Mido stood firm, "The Deku Tree commanded me by his own mouth." And then his own eyes changed in demeanor as though he were sincerely troubled. "He says that something is wrong with him, and that there's trouble ahead."

Saria and Link stood concerned then before Saria enquired further, "Is something wrong with the Deku Tree?" And she turned to Navi before Mido could utter a response. "Was he troubled when you left him?"

Then Navi's orb turned a pale blue, "As I left him, he did not seem well."

Then Mido injected, "If you want to see the Deku Tree, you should at least be equipped with a shield and a sword." His tone started sincere enough; however, it emerged quite pompous at the end as it was clear that he did not believe that Link could fill the requirements.

At that, Saria paced off as she mulled over the matter.

Link nodded as he began to do the same. Yet Mido grabbed him by the shirt collar with both hands as he whispered to Link's face with gnashed teeth. "How did you get to become the favorite of Saria and the Deku Tree? … You will never find those tools to equip." Link returned gaze with narrowed eyes as Mido continued. "You will let them down, the tree will get better, and Saria's heart will be mine before the end." And then Mido shoved the blonde haired lad off with anger.

"That bum!" Saria mumbled to Link as he strode forth, whisking off his shirt collar with his hands. "If the Deku Tree is in trouble, we'll have to work fast without a moment to spare."

"The shield should be easy enough as they sell Deku Shields at the Shop." Link noted.

Saria nodded thoughtfully, "Sure enough, but the sword will be difficult."

"I don't remember ever hearing of a sword in Kokiri Forest before." Link thought aloud from his vague recollection.

"There is one," Saria said as she thought hard from life's tales heard as she was most learned of the Kokiri in her five hundred years, for she attended to the Deku Tree's tales and lessons most fervently. "You are still young Link, and even many of the others are very young. While we are children in form, we are more mature and knowledgable than even we ourselves can fathom and understand. As we are "children of the forest", we are not just merely children. Kokiri are children of the forest just as Hylians are children of Hylia. All creatures of creation are children in one means or another. We are forest spirits, and our spirits have a long history untold. As the Deku Tree has told me, the early Kokiri of old were sophisticated as they served the Royal Family of Hyrule in secret, and among them a sage lived in an old temple who harnessed the wills of the forest's spirits in support of the construction of Hyrule's great temple of utmost importance. Though I never understood what that importance was. They crafted a sword for the coming Kokiri as it was foretold that a Hero would rise among them in the humblest abode. He would brave courage as never before seen by the Kokiri and take the Kokiri's precious stone, token of Hyrule's friendship, and bring it to Hyrule's great temple. And then a sage would again be seated by the Kokiri. I never understood it, though I always loved the tale." She smiled faintly as she thought on the legend and reminisced of the Deku Tree's voice in telling it.

Link felt very sober in that moment, considering the idea that he now attempts to wield the tool of such a legend. But he was quick to bring Saria back to the moment's matters. "Do you know where the sword is?"

"I don't." She simply stated, shaking her head. "But I can ask around. … We'll make better time if we split up. See what you can do about purchasing that shield." And then Saria quickly sped off tossing grass blades in her tracks.

Link sighed then, and he hurried to his house. Kokiri didn't have much need for currency as Hyrule did, but they did have trade. For after all, what civilization exists to run without it. The Kokiri traded things of weighed value against another such as Deku Seeds, Nuts, and Sticks. Literally anything. So, as Link reached his house, he dug and searched about, tossing bed and mattress, turning over every piece of firewood, and withdrawing all cabinet drawers. And what did the boy have? Many rocks and stones of divers colors, minerals, and shapes that he found in the foot hills. There were the acorns and the Deku Nuts. Also he had a few seeds and berries. None of these items were worth very much in their own weight, but they added up. Except, they were still not enough. He would have to raise up the rest for the required sum.

Swiftly again, Link shot out of the house, breaking his steps just in time to prevent himself from flying off of the balcony. Then once on the ground, it was not long before he was scrounging around the village for anything that nature had to offer. And then he noticed Halfir busy about Saria's house.

"What are you doing?" Link curiously enquired as he looked on the scraggly headed boy who was grumbling on his knees with his hands filthy from pulling grass in Saria's front yard.

"Bah!" Halfir puffed, "That Mido is making me pull out all of the tall grass in front of Saria's house! … Thinks he'll make an impression on her something." His eyes rolled upon stating that last remark.

"I know that Mido can be bossy at times as he is a 'rat'" Spoke Link with a shrug, "… But how can he 'make' you do anything?"

"I'll give you two words how. …" Halfir said bluntly, " … 'Mido's Fist!' … You know that no one can stand up to his punches, except maybe you at times."

"I see." Replied Link with understanding. "Perhaps I can help if it's alright with you that I keep anything that I may find while working?"

"Will you?!" Halfir returned enthused. "Sure! Knock yourself out to anything. I just want to get this over with."

So, Link made haste as he pulled and snapped the handfuls of grass blades while he also searched diligently for anything that might stand out. There wasn't much save that he did find a half a dozen of crickets. An exciting find as live fishing bait would really help add to his valuable merchandise. Even better if he had actual fish. … Ah, that was a thought as he could use the bait to catch some fish to trade with. So, he quickly rigged up a line and hook.

But as he was making his way northward to the stream, he saw another unfortunate fellow bending his back over great boulder rocks in Mido's front yard. So, with a sigh, Link walked over.

"Hi Bilf…" Link greeted with a rather unenthused tone.

Bilf huffed as he paused his labor with a short breath, "Hi Link."

"Let me guess, Mido's got you removing the rocks from his front yard." Link plainly stated.

Bilf sighed, "Yep! He's got me picking up the rocks from his yard."

"Rolling them more likely." Link returned with observation.

Bilf sighed again, "Yep!"

With a deep annoying breath, Link told him that he would help, and asked if he could keep anything that he could find. Unfortunately, there was nothing to find this time except for maybe a few spiders, and that was valuable to nobody unless the boys were playing tricks on the girls.

Link was about to return to his fishing expedition when Fado came up to him. "Hi Link." The other blonde head greeted, but his demeanor quickly became one of concern. "I just talked with Saria a short while ago." His eyes were dead serious. "Is it true? … Is something wrong with the Deku Tree? Is he ill?"

There was a pause at first, and then as he took a deep breath Link nodded, "From what we know, yes he's ill."

Fado nodded in response, "That would explain the increase of shades in the forest. Shadows grow, and baba plants are suddenly spreading. Not to mention that howls of wolfos were heard this morning, coming from the Lost Woods. The Deku Tree's health would render such effect." He paused for a moment of respect before continuing. "Saria said that you needed enough trade for purchasing a Deku Shield." Link's brows raised up with question then as Fado went on to say. "Take this, it should be enough to add with what you have to make the purchase."

Then Fado presented a Slingshot of all things, for he was known to be of a steady shot. Link's eyes widened with marvel and disbelief. "You can't give me this. It's too valuable for you to part with it."

But Fado stood and spoke with wisdom of years, for he too was quite aged. Though he was a little less wise than Saria. "The Deku Tree gave you the most esteemed Fairy, Navi, and he chose YOU to come to him in his hour of need. And as Saria seeks the sword of Kokiri legend for you to wield. … I will give anything for you to accomplish what must be done."

I that moment, Link stood serene and as encouraged as he had never felt before. With respect, he accepted the gift. "Thank you, Fado."

Hurriedly, Link sped to the shop, and at the desk stood old Bafo, the shopkeeper. "What can I help you with Link?" His expression was quite serious.

"News travels fast." Link observed, and Bafo nodded. And Link presented his items. "I have these to trade, if they will purchase a Deku Shield."

Bafo could sometimes be quite the sharp trader, but he was also honorable, and wasn't hesitant to give where a need mattered. "These will be enough." He took everything given, but the slingshot. And when Link gave a questioned face, Bafo replied. "You have need of that more than I. Help the Deku Tree, and you will owe me nothing."

Not knowing what else to say, Link nodded as he graciously accepted the Shield.

The Shield was as fine quality as the children of the forest had to offer, carved from a sheet of Deku wood, sturdier than black walnut wood and tougher than the most aged cedar. The emblem of the Kokiri stone was engraved upon it and painted in red. Quite fitting for one aspiring to brave off any warranted dangers.

Gratefully, he was not hesitant to seek out Saria, and eventually he found her on the crest of the Know-It-All's hill. And there, Saria was waiting for him.

"I have the Shield, Saria. …" Link said then taking a breath, "What have you found about the Sword?"

"Well," Saria began. "I have gathered several of our fairies, along with the Know-It-Alls."

But then Link broke in, "You mean the Know-It-Alls actually knew something about the sword?"

Saria brazenly shook her head, "No, no, no, no … Their fairies actually knew some things about the sword. And for my understanding, it's hidden in the labyrinth of this forest atop the hill's crest."

Link looked over to see the forest grow about great stones that have been impassable as the Kokiri have climbed it. Or at least, none have ever really tried. "Over there?" He indicated, and Saria nodded.

"But I don't know how to get over." Saria admitted, "…and that's what I've been studying on.

"What if we stood together, one on another and one reached that tree branch that hangs from the other side?" Suggested Link.

Saria cocked her head. "Okay!"

Then after Saria won a short argument, she graciously stood for Link to stand atop of her. "I can just about reach…" He stretched. And then after Saria tipped on her toes, he had it. Eventually making it to the other side, there stood a path with equally tall boulders on all sides So, link followed, yet then there were multiple paths. Thus, he would choose one, and then there was another set of paths, unfortunately followed by another. Even then, he only met a dead end. He was forced to make a course correction and trace back his steps. The maze obligated him to do so often, and when he had tried all of them to no avail, he stopped with a sigh of resignation.

"What do I do now?" Link muttered aloud, "I can't find it."

"Is that what you believe?" Navi briskly remarked, "According to the legend of the sword, only those who believe in the legend can wield it. …" She paused with a moment of observation, "… And that's it isn't it? You don't you believe that you're the Hero. You can't fathom the hero inside of you."

Link returned a glare of annoyance and frustration and would had rebutted with a sharp complaint. But then he stopped himself as he thought about it. 'That's it, isn't it.' He thought, 'I have to be able to accept the role and bravely face the challenge it brings. Despite my own desires of wanting no part of this, I have to be willing to lay myself down for them. For everyone.'

And when he raised his head again there was a great crack in the wall as it opened itself up to a new path. At the end of which, there was before him a great chest of Deku wood, with aged scars of rustic character and the seal was engraved with the Kokiri emblem. Link opened the chest and there was a cloth of lavender velvit fabric wrapped about the treasured object. As he reverently unfolded the fabric, Link found a short sword of the perfect length for a child. It was crafted of hardened still with a hilt of bronze encased with Deku wood wherein a beautiful stone of opal had been set.

Link held it up as the light of the sun glimmered upon it as the spring greets the rising bloom, and Navi's light flickered with delight, "You did it."

Link stood soberly, "We'll see."

Upon returning to the entry wall, there was still the issue of getting back over it. "How do I get back now without Saria to help?"

"Hey!" Navi shouted, "Over there you might be able to climb those vines."

Agreeing, Link took to the vines immediately. He tested his weight at first and it showed to hold, he hauled on up over. Saria was overjoyed to see that he had returned with the sword strapped in sheath on his back, and she jumped on him with her arms around his neck in an embraced hug. "I knew you'd find it."

Link smiled, "Thanks Saria."

Saria smiled with him for moment before turning to make haste, "We've got to get you to the Deku Tree."

"Yes, Please!" Navi remarked out of irritation. "Finally."

As they were about to see Mido, Saria commented to Link, "As the Deku Tree needs to speak with you about such trouble you will have to go in alone." She took his hand in hers, "But I'll be waiting for you. Alright?"

Link stood still for a moment before nodding with understanding. "Alright."

When Link returned, Mido was 'still as a board' while he was showed the shield and sword. "What?" He exlaimed, "Fine! Go in then. … But having a fairy and tools don't change who you are Link!" The orange head commented as Link was about to head in. "It's what's inside your heart. You are not one of us as you don't belong."

Link's jaws stiffened then as he glared at Mido with silence, and without answering the bully, he moved on to the meadow without hesitation.

Saria remained outside, and she looked up to the great tree's boughs and leaves, seeing how they were changing rapidly. And then and there everything came to her in flashback as she mulled on the legends and stories, and she relived the memory of the night when Navi had brought Link to her, the Hylian child. Moreover a realization dawned on her as she gasped with understanding; whereas, she turned quickly to her home as she searched frantically for something of great importance to her.

"What are you doing? ... What's the matter?" Falith alarmingly enquired.

And Saria paused as a tear dropped from her face that was filled with dread. "I know. Everything will change now, and no matter how much I will hate to see it, there is nothing that I can do to stop it. There's nothing to do but to … accept it." Upon those words, she buckled into her seat at her desk and trembled her small head onto her hands upon the desk top, and Saria wept bitterly.


	6. VI The Kokiri Emerald

Link's steps strode through a winding path, and about him stood the Deku Babas as their number had greatly multiplied in discord to the nature of the forest. Furthermore, babas had grow of monstrous size as their long stems with their bulbs lunging with open maw in effort to take rip the flesh from the lad. Indeed, the babas could be dangerous in multitude if one was not careful.

The path weaved and winded until Link made entry into the great meadow, and there the Great Deku Tree stood with in his great might, though he was not whole. The tree's bark had begun to crack, his sap was drying out, the branches of his boughs had begun to twist and curl in disform, and his leaves were turning as though Spring had become late late Autumn. Moreover, the tree's breathing had drawn out wearily in deep breaths as though he were struggling.

"Ah, Navi. Thank you for bringing him." The great tree thanked Link's fairy inn embrace, and then he spoke to Link with a voice of patience as the patience that astirs growth in all living things. "And Link, thank you for coming. … I am sure you are glad to have finally received your fairy. I am sorry for having waited so long, but now I know it is time. For Time is of the essence."

"Thank you, dear Father,…" Link replied with respect and understanding as a child speaks with his cherished father, "…and it's alright. … I know that as you will it, it is for the best."

"Saria has raised you well, and I know that your friendship will develop and bloom in reaching beyond refines of the world and even Time. You have grown strong and your heart is true. You are a true Kokiri, and never let those who shun or disrespect you persuade you otherwise. But even so, there is much more to you than any of the Kokiri, even Saria, can fathom." The Great Deku Smiled then in a moment's joy that Link would never forget it. "But I digress in rambling as I am in distress. For an evil entered Hyrule and now even into this forest. It has touched all good things who grow and live, and those sensitive to it are troubled by it. Yeah, even a dream would had troubled you." Link's features had turned alert then, to which the tree asked. "That is so, is it not."

And Link nodded solemnly, "Yes, Father. That is true."

"Alas," The Deku Tree went on to say, "I have been cursed by this evil and my power wains. As Mido must have told you, I am not well. Therefore as I fade, the forest will change and darkness will rise in power inevitably to over take the forest. I…I have a favor to ask of you, Link. For of all of my children, you have shown courage. Will show this courage to me, will you help me now and stand for your brothers and sisters? Will you stand to defeat this curse?"

Link thought hard then with so much to soak in. His eyes twitched as so did his mind in memory and thought. At length, he gave a sobered response, "I will."

"Then enter," Replied the tree, "and do as thou hast said. Move with patience and you will find it. Listen also to Navi as her counsel will aid you in wisdom for your walk." And then to Link's astonishment, the maw of the Great Deku Tree had opened agape as an open gate that gives entrance to a vast hall.

Proceeding in, the hollow was broad and far reaching as it did indeed prove to be a great hall. Link thought on what Saria used to tell him of how the elder Kokiri used to congregate here upon seasons, for the older ones of her time were wise and their sight far ranging as the Deku Tree showed them much. But strangers had crept into Hyrule in those days with shadows and brought distress even upon the depths of the forest. Many of the old Kokiri had pursued the shadows chasing them off deep into the Lost Woods. Alas, while the Kokiri were victorious, they were themselves overwhelmed by the wild spirits of the deep fairy woods. Thus as they had faded from the present world, they were forever lost. Saria, only, remained of the old as she was left behind to guide the young. Saria was always sad with a deep pain as she told that story.

"Watch Out!" Navi broke Link away from his thoughts with a shout.

"What?" Link vaguely replied when Smash! A great nut smote his face as a punch, cracking the nut. And as the nut cracked it rendered a great flash of light. Link was stunned blind as he crouched over feeling the ground with his hands while his eyes took a moment to readjust.

"Link Move!" Navi shouted, to which Link rolled just in time to avoid the next shot.

Having an idea what direction the shots were projected, he held out his shield in front of him as he took cover with his head bowed behind it. In good time as well as another nut cracked against his shield. Then Link peeked over to see what could possibly be shooting at him, it was apparent to come from a dark corner of shadows. He couldn't see what it was.

"Navi, I can't see it." Link remarked, "What is it?"

"It's a Deku Shrub." Navi answered. "Of all of the Deku folk, they are the least hardy and the most cowardly. While they're not really hostile, they're very territorial and will always make a big front. See if you can repel its Deku Nuts with your shield."

"Yeah, but I can't see it!" Link exclaimed with frustration as another nut flashed on him.

Navi scurried over quickly above the shadow as her light illumined the darkness, revealing a wooden body a bush of leaves all about it with red eyes burning in it wooden face, and his nose extruded as a long snout. Or was that his mouth? But when the shrub perceived that Link had seen him, it ducked its head down with its leaves serving as its cover. More from sight than other sense of practicality.

Upon that opportunity, Link picked himself in haste as he hurried in advance upon the shrub. But as his guard was down, the shrub had risen again as he shot another nut from his snout. At that, Link stopped again as he dropped to cover with his shield. He thought then on Navi had said. And with that, he advanced again with his shield raised. The shrub was intimidated at this as it was unexpected, and in a moment of desperation, he shot again despite knowing he would not avail. True enough that was as Link batted the nut with his shield back at the shrub; whereas, the shrub yelped a big "Whelfff!" And started scurrying backwards cowardly to the wall.

"Don't! Don't hurt me!" The shrub begged.

"What do you offer so that you and I might find peace?" Link enquired.

"I will help you and tell you anything you want to know, if I am able." Answered the Shrub.

"Something has come into the Deku Tree here and will kill him if we don't stop it." Navi said, "Has anything odd happened or come here lately?"

"Last night!" The shrub immediately told. "An shadow of a shape, revealing a monster of great size made its way into the tree. I couldn't see it well and I don't know or have any idea of what it is. But if you make your way to the center of the hall, that's where it disappeared."

Observing, Link to the center which he could not see well enough to make out. "Alright."

"Does this mean you won't hurt me?" The Deku Shrub asked excitedly, "That you'll let me go?"

"Yes," Link said calmly at first, but his tone intensified as he added. "If you leave. Now!"

And Link's voice was compelling as the shrub rushed off with a yelp. "Yikes!"

Link moved slowly as he wasn't sure what the center might hold, but as he drew nigh, Navi flew over to reveal a great hole freshly made. The marks were clear as the wood chewed away as something great and terrible had torn through the floor in the tree's roots. As long as five children it spanned, and there was no knowing from where they stood how deep it delved.

Link gulped nervously. "What in the forest can tear a whole like that?"

Navi hummed with mixed lights, "I don't know."

"How do we get down there?" He asked further, to which she only replied with a lolling swirl as though she were expressing a shrug. But then Link thought aloud, "Maybe you can go down there with your light so we can see what we're looking at."

But Navi was quick to rebut with sharp sarcasm, "Right, throw the light ball down into dark pit so YOU can see the monster! Nope!"

"Alright." Link conceded, "You got a point. …But hey!" He thought, "We can light a torch to throw down." And quickly then he began to reach for a piece of wood as he worked on his thought. Navi had doubts however, "I'm not sure about this. Hey! Are you listening?" And while they were distracted and arguing, they were thrown off as a great spider encased in bone landed hung down from the ceiling with its web as it landed, aggressively advancing upon the boy. It was a skulltulla from the legends when darkness once walked abroad the earth and monsters had flourished in the lands. Link wasn't unfamiliar with them as their skullwaltulla kin of a person's head size were occasionally found in the lost woods. For Saria would shun them away with with a flash of a Deku Nut. But would that work with the skulltulla that was equal his own size.

Link tried as he quickly flashed a nut, and while it didn't shun it, it was stunned as stone no arachnid can handle that intense of light. Spurring the moment, Link begun to step; however, to his dismay the spider had regained its stance with such determination that it rushed upon Link unexpectedly that as it lunged, the motion of his sword pried up the spider as his blade pierced it tender body beneath its armor of bone. The impact of the spider's momentum cast Link over the edge as he fell down the hole with many roots along with the descending dirt to break his fall. He never knew how far down it was.

Yet when Link shook of his fatigue and brought himself up, he found himself in a cave of a hall that was vast and all about stood both root and dirt. He saw this as there stones amidst the dirt that shined a light of their own, however dim. But those light were insignificant to that of Navi's as Link stood under her bright orb amidst an enveloping darkness.

Well, Link knew not what else to do than to look around. Doing so, he found that much of the roots had been eaten away and there were great tracks upon the floor that he couldn't understand. He did not like the look of things at all and a swelling fear was growing in him every step of the way. He couldn't shake the feeling and was ever more the certain that something loomed about him, watching him.

At length, Link came to a great root that was broad and twisted into the earth.

"It's the tap root of the Great Deku Tree." The fairy explained, "His core."

Link was concerned, "Much of it is eaten."

"Yes." Navi replied, "This 'thing' has been devouring him."

And in that moment, Link heard something behind them above. He looked back and saw nothing. But wait … up high on the ceiling was movement. And then he saw it as it revealed its one opening eye, full of ire as it looked on menacingly.

"Ghoma…" Navi thought aloud.

"Who?" Enquired Link, not taking his attention off of it.

"In ancient history," Navi went on to elaborate, "…when the devil himself walked the earth, monsters were ever prevalent making war on the world. Ghoma was the queen of the arachnids, the spiders of all kinds, as she warred with the Deku folk. But she had no power as the Deku Tree's power banished her. So, she fled to skulk in the darkness of the world's pits."

Link drew his sword then, and Ghoma had crawled along the ceiling over Link's position where it dropped. Evading the impact as he leaped aside, the lad took his position only to be assailed by the great one eyed arachnid. Queen Ghoma stood the size of his living quarters with her two great legs, embodied by her great eye and appendages.

Link dodged, he parried, and even tried to slash and hack when opportunity presented itself, but her exoskeleton body had proven the fittest armor as his strikes were useless. Becoming weary with dire need to access the situation and reevaluate his opponent, Link took a Deku Nut and casted it to the ground with a flash. The queen was very sensitive to light as she tossed about, being stunned. Seizing the moment, Link ran into the darkness as Navi followed him when eventually he stopped, deeming himself to be far enough to buy time.

"Navi, your light's too much." Link pointed out.

"Well, it's not like I can cut it off!"the fairy reprimanded.

"Quick!" Link pulled up his cap, "Hide in here." And after she took cover under his hat as he put back on, he made his way to a corner behind a great root.

"You know she still can see right?" Navi asked in checking his wit.

"Sure," Link replied, "but at least your light won't bring her straight to us. … I just need time." He took a breath, "I can't seem to inflict any damage to her. Ghoma's armor is too thick."

"The only weakness you may find is her eye." Navi answered simply. "It's the only part of her that's vulnerable."

"Vulnerable?" Link asked with frustration, "I can't reach it!"

After the flash, Link was not the only one who needed to evaluate one's opponent, for as Ghoma was not damaged by the light, she did not understand it. Whereas, she fled to the ceiling and made her way to the center of the hall.

Link noticed this and released Navi as he needed her light. "What is she doing?" The boy asked.

Then with the fairies light amidst the hall, Link saw as Ghoma had let down another appendage from her rear as it hung down and snaked about. Ghoma's eye opened then and the yellow iris turned unnaturally red as she she seemed to be in a dormant state, if dormant it was. But no, for the appendage carried something as it pushed forth and then whatever it was, it dropped into the hall as a great round dodge ball with which children would play. And then there was another.

The realization dawned the fairy in dismay, "Eggs."

By time the third one had landed, the first had hatched as an arachnid breached forth with a like pair of legs with single eye. And more continued to drop.

In moment of daring, Link took off in run against his new enemies. "Hey!" Navi called while shocked with the boldness of Link, though she had counted it rather as foolishness at the time. "Link stop, that what she wants!" But Link did't hear her, or if he did he did not head her. And he charged in upon the young offspring of Ghoma.

Link was never phased as the offspring advanced upon his aggression, and with every strike of hack and slash, he slew them. But as he came to the last, Ghoma dropped about him as the quake of her wake had stumbled him down upon his back. In a moment, the great arachnid would have had him were it not for the fairy who came out of no where flashing her light dizzily about the queen's eye, having turned again red from the madness of it. Navi had dearly risked her life in that moment as she had come close many times to being taken by the hideous beast.

Quickly, Link had to think of something fast. Then as it hit him as he considered Navi's words about the eye, he drew out Fado's slingshot along with placing a Deku Nut in it. Now while Link had been a decent shot with a slingshot in time's past, he was never a quick aim and never as sure of a shot as Fado. So, he took his time with his aim, and when he found his moment, Link shouted a Kokiri make of a screech owl call. The suddenness of which stirred Navi and Ghoma to a steady moment as he released the nut as it smote Ghoma's eye. And then the great spider screamed as she hunched down, lividly rubbing herself upon the floor as she tried to comfort her misery.

"Now Link!" Navi called.

And Link did not hesitate as he rushed upon his enemy and drove the blade into the queen's eye. Then at that she screeched as she wreaked havoc about her until she eventually fell where she would never stir to trouble the world ever again.

Navi, furious from Link's charge upon the offspring, scolded him. "Listen! Next you do just that, you listen to me before you just go bolting into dange! Do you hear me?! …" She stopped abruptly as she found Link passed out beneath the carcass of the beast. For he could not evade the fall of the ravening spider. "Link?!" She worriedly called, but was answered as the voice of the tree spoke.

"He is fine, dear Navi. He has only passed out from the exhaustion and excitement of the unexpected end."

The roots begun to move then, and they lifted the carcass off of Link as more lifted him to be carried out of the cavern up into the Deku Tree's main hall where shrubs carried him to the meadow outside before the tree. And they left him there.

Before too long, Link began to stir to find himself laid down before the Deku Tree in the meadow. Alerted, he sat up right up immediately in question, but then he was again settled as the voice of the tree spoke.

"Well done young Hero." The Deku Tree congratulated. "Facing the trial, your courage has shown forth, and you have proven yourself the Hero that I believe you are." Link had stood up then and though he felt proud to the forest father speak of him so, his head cocked with question as he did not understand the weight of Deku Tree's meaning.

"How did Ghoma overtake you, Father?" Link asked, "Navi told me that you had defeated and banished her in ancient past."

"The importance of the situation holds greater weight over matters even darker than Ghoma. For her malice over me was but the beginning of the darkness that looms over Hyrule. And so now I must tell you of Hyrule's ancient history of the world. Do well to listen."

"In the beginning, the three goddesses: Nayru, Din, and Farore created the world. Nayru poured her wisdom into the earth to love with kindness and to understand the law and she gave the graceful sky wherein the lights of the stars, sun, and moon are embraced in harmony. Din gave the law and by her power, she gave the substance of the earth. And Farore gave life whereas the law is to be upheld, and she gave her courage into life so that they may bear it. In the end, when their work was done, they ascended reign on their thrones to oversee the work of the world, and behind they left us the prowess of their power, the Triforce which manifests itself to mortals as a relic of three golden triangles: Wisdom, Power, and Courage. In the Sacred Realm, it resides.

Because of this, a man from the desert came to me seeking the Spiritual Stone that I keep. For he seeks the Triforce. … I withheld the Stone from him, but alas he had proven more powerful than I had perceived. Desperate he was to acquire the Stone that he had conspired with Ghoma in bringing her upon me. Alas, that I have been powerless against him.

Though you have accomplished a great feat, it has only proven to be a trial for the feats you must now undertake. You have saved the forest from a vile evil had Ghoma had lived, but as for myself, even before you had awaken this morning this morning, it was too late. Ghoma's work had devoured too much."

Link was troubled then as his hopes were crumbling into despair, and he wept as the tree's rasping breaths had worsened.

"Link," The struggling tree continued, "you must leave the forest and go to the castle. There find the priness of destiny where she will guide you further. And above all you must not allow Dragmire, the king of the desert, to enter the Sacred Realm to claim the Triforce at any cost."

"Ho…w…what…" Link stuttered as his throat cracked and his feet trembled, and it felt as though the very ground had abandoned him. For everything had gone wrong.

"Navi will be with you always to guide and aid you," The tree added, "and she will be your confidence. And Navi you are to go with him, never to leave his side as you must see him through to his journey's end."

And Navi answered, "I will."

"Now then," The tree continued to say. "Link hold out thine hands, gracefully." The boy did so and an new light took place before him as the earth shook, the trees swayed, the wind whistled, and the roots unfurled grafting up. A new opening took place within the Deku Tree's trunk as though it had served as a compartment. The a root like a hand with fingers reached and brought fort the source of this strange light. It was green and shined as the fair stars of the sky as the tree laid the stone into Link's hand. Dumbstruck, Link marveled at it. It was a round emerald encased in a golden spiral for which the Kokiri emblem was inspired. "Take this Spiritual Stone and present it to the fair princess you must seek. This is the stone that King Dragmire sought. This is the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. It is the Kokiri Emerald. Take special care to protect it, even with your life."

Then Link placed it in his pouched that he wore upon his belt, and he found all of this to be so much to digest. Overwhelmed, he shook like a leaf in the as he was filled with great doubt.

"Link." The Great Deku Tree returned with his leaves ever shaking in their withering. "Promise me that you will do this. Promise me you will fulfill your quest. Promise me that you will hold strong with all of your courage and all of your might as you have shown today. Promise me."

"I…I will." Link answered with what voice he had, standing tall again for the honor of the Deku Tree, and his tears marred his youthful face.

"Good." The Deku Tree feebly uttered in reply, "I am glad. I am proud of you. It has been my joy to watch over the Kokiri with Saria's sweet lead and your graceful nobility." … He paused with a slow breath before he spoke one last time. "Alas, that I must leave you now. Farewell." And in that moment, the leaves had withered and fallen, everyone. The bark had popped and cracked as the wood had drawn up, and the tree had looked discolored and disfigured. From out of the branches, the fairies flew off, dispersed into the forest with small voices weeping.

Navi lighted herself upon Link's brow as her light nearly fainted. In silence Link stood, and his thoughts drifted in deep reminisce. Gazing upon the great tree, he felt numb and while his thoughts faded all about him seemed both distant and remote. Standing for a half of an hour he continued to remain silent and unmoved when finally he broke out of it. Link bowed his head as he swiped the dried tears from his face with his arm. Following afterwards, he brought himself to composure to take his stance in the world about him, for their was a task to be done. "Well," He calmly said with irises grief. "I should probably get going. … Farwell, dear Father of the Forest." And with that he turned, at which Navi hovered up remaining behind in hesitation. Understanding, Link said nothing as he moved on.

In her moment alone, the fairy drooped her light, and with a parting voice. "Goodbye, Great Deku Tree." She left after Link.

Returning to the village, Link was met by the obstinate orange head. Mido stared Link down hard, for all of the Kokiri beheld from the distance that the Deku Tree's leaves had fallen. "What happened? … What did you do?!" The bully questioned with anger and jerked Link by the collar of his tunic. "Did he…" Mido paused, "Did he die?"

Link cringed in that moment, and he barely had the will to answer as he spoke. "Y-yes. … The threat is dead, but…but I was too late."

Mido's widened as it was a reality that he could not accept, and he shouted at Link to the ears of all in village who looked on. "How could you do a thing like that! It's all your fault!" And in a rage, he threw Link to the ground who offered confrontation, and he fell into a pit in his heart with shame. "You were supposed to help him! But you let him down, and being the weak Fairy-less that you are you killed him! … Murderer! … You're not a Kokiri, you're not one of us! You've never been one of us! You've never belonged here!"

As Mido raved in his rant, Link looked up and as all listened, it was clear that many listened to Mido as none offered solace as Link could see it in their eyes. Then as Link couldn't take it any more, he arose and fled northward in a sprint, pausing only to look for Saria. But she was not there nor anywhere to be found, and as he tried to talk or ask anyone, they would not speak with him. "I did not kill the Deku Tree, you must believe me." But they each said nothing as they only drew away from him. Except for Fado who enquired Link about where he was going.

"I don't know." Link said, "The Deku Tree said that I was to leave and find Hyrule Castle."

Fado's eyes widened in marvel, "The Deku Tree told you to leave the forest?" Link nodded in answer, and Fado added, "Then go, and know that despite Mido's madness, you will always be welcome back here."

Link smirked with cynical sarcasm, "I don't see that happening."

But Fado waved it off, "Saria and I will calm things down. Mido is in shock right now. Despite his own ambitions, he does often mean well to the Kokiri as a whole, and as the Father was most graceful to him in his flaws, he loved the tree very dearly."

After a deep and heavy sigh, Link told Fado, "I did try to save the Deku Tree."

"I know…" Fado replied with acknowledgment. And when Link tried to return the slingshot, Fado answered. "Keep it, and may it serve you well."

"Tell Saria…" Link begun, but he was cut off by the blonde Kokiri.

"You'll tell her yourself when you come back." And after Link nodded, they parted with a brother's hand shake before Link took off again to the north through the tree line.

Eventually, the path brought Link to a bridge across a river which served as the gateway to the enchanted fairy woods and the strange new world of Hyrule. He never stopped in hesitation as he ran ever forward when then he heard it, that serene beautiful voice. "Oh…You're leaving." And he stopped on the spot as his heart almost stopped. There Saria stood upon the bridge, for he was so drowned with fear, sorrow, and worry that he almost missed her hadn't she caught him with her voice. She looked so downcast in that moment, and yet she managed to smile as her eyes were faded with showering tears, each hone a drop of light. He couldn't bring himself to speak as the thought of leaving her took his breath away. The death of the Great Deku Tree, being called on in cursing by the Kokiri, being sent away from his friends, and leaving Saria "on top of it all" crushed him. His tears waxed moist in matching hers, and for a moment, nothing was said as gazes were fixed between irises of blue and green. And then he understood it that she was his whole world, this world he knew, and now he was leaving it, leaving her.

Saria drew out a special cloth of Kokiri linen and gave it to him. He moved the cloth in uncovering her gift, and it was a fairy ocarina of deku wood from the great tree's branches such as is rare, and only Saria's own had been made like it. Thus she made special effort in crafting this one, but for how long? Her heart had to had been set on it.

"I…I" Link tried to speak with his cracking voice, but he couldn't.

"With a voice like that, a bull frog might croak in answer." Saria had said in effort of a cracking giggle, and Link had smiled with a smirk wherewith she was satisfied as she smiled. As solemn as he was, she was the one who could always find the way to get a smile out of him. "With this instrument, please remember us, and … don't forget me."

He looked at her earnestly then, and he placed her hand with his on the instrument as he locked eyes with her, "I…Will…Come Back."

The girl of emerald nodded, and with the ocarina, Link stepped back. Five paces he took without ever taking his eyes off of her as he made sure to etch it into memory. And with that, he turned left into this new and strange world. So, Link came to the kingdom of Hyrule.


	7. VII The Field and the City

Filled with emotion, Link flew betwixt tree, branch, and bush until he eventually saw a break in the trees that formed a line of light. For he had reached the tree line of Faron. And here he walked with gasping breath as he beheld it and stood forth in it. Hyrule Field. It was a great field, clear of any woodland presence aside from that which stood behind him. The light of the noon sun illumined all in such radiance that Link looked thereon with such marvel that for a moment, his grief set aside. The light licked upon the tall grass, and the hills stood as siblings that teased each other. Vast horizons gave view of fading images the naked eye could not fathom. And to the northeast, there stood a great mountain peak, lone, and tall as though it were the adult overseeing the childlike hills. Its peak was round in crest, and a ring of ash smoke hovered above in a halo.

Thus, the blond lad had found that he had braved a whole new world. But while he was enamored by it as it presented a blissful beauty, his grief only deepened as the given beauty seemed to only suppress the life and world that he had known. And to his frustration, he did not know where the castle lied.

"What troubles you, lad?" A billowing voice came from above.

Startled as he was, the blond lad searched above him to merely see a great owl stoop from a low bough of a tall elm tree. It had the weight of an eagle and the breadth of a bear cub. Its feathers were brown about its wings and its chest was tan. Its eyes however, were as narrow as a pecan nut, and it had great brows that stood up like the antennas of an insect.

As Link searched, there was no one else present, and when he settled his eyes upon the owl, his head cocked in confusion. But then the owl spoke.

"Yes, lad. I was speaking to you!" He plainly said.

Link's eyes widened to the speaking owl. And he was dumbstruck.

"I'm…doing alright. I suppose." Link returned finally, and bringing himself nearer to composure, he went on to comment. "I have never spoken with a speaking owl before."

"Yes," The owl nodded, "I am one of the few. I am Gaepora from the north, though I do wander much. This fine elm tree is a particular favorite resting place, when I travel this way. " But then he went on to enquire. "Now I have never seen a child of the forest stray or leave the forest's borders before. I am curious, what brings you into the Fields of Hyrule?"

"I have an important errand to Hyrule Castle." Link replied. "I am Link."

"Ah…then you should go north." Gaepora commented as he gestured the direction. "The city stands on the northern side of this field. But night will fall before you reach it, so you should seek shelter. For the gates will be closed at dusk as neither entry nor exit is permitted until morning. Because the stachilds rise under the moon's presence." And then he rambled to great lengths as he told Link of the stachilds. They were the skeletal remains of the history's youth with memory revived as they lurk and seek the life of the living. But as Gaepora rambled in great detail of the stachilds, he not only described them but went on to elaborate upon their entire history and of the stories of their encounters over the course of time.

Having a short attention span as the boy that he was, Link had long faded in thought to Gaepora's words, so that when Gaepora had at last finished speaking, Link's features betrayed how lost he was to the owl's words.

"Oh dear…would you like me to repeat that again?" The owl asked.

But Link waved it off, "Ah, no thank you. I had better get started. But thank you for your kind directiion." And at that, as if he lost all sense of manners, Link took off in a run.

As physically fit as the lad was for sprinting through forest and overcoming its every obstacle, he soon found himself challenged. And as he at last learned the meaning of the distance of miles, he thought to himself. "How far does this field go?"

The sun waxed hot upon him as the day lengthened over the afternoon to the closing of May's month. So, he took his share of breaks. His motivation picked up before long and he gasped as he beheld it in sight on the near horizon: the great wall of the city. But his heart fell as he observed the descending sun. And he beheld that the city's gate was drawing to close.

Knowing that he could not reach the city, his heart began to faint as it regarded the tales of the stachildren more seriously. So, Link searched for shelter, but there was nothing nearby for him to reach in time save for one hackberry tree on the hilltop. It was relatively broad as well as its bough reached down low enough for Link's reach. And Navi concurred with Link's resolve. Yet as he began to reach for it, the nigh grounds began to stir as a couple of small skeleton's emerged as the size of Hylian children. Their joints rattled and their eyes were enlightened as ambers of wrath.

Link's heart stopped, and as the two figures of decaying bone came near, they lunged at him. Though the moment of regained composure, Link had repelled the lunges with his shield. Then quickly, the blond batted one back on to the ground; whereas, his sword splintered the ribs of the other. And without hesitation, Link hurled himself on the tree's bough where after he brought himself up he quickly climbed the tree.

After a while, Link observed the stachildren standing below in wait, and they seemed to grow impatient of his lingering. So, they returned into the earth from whence they came, burrowing their way back into the turf. As he felt confident in the safety of the tree's elevation, Link settled on a broad bough. And he was able to lay back in resting against the trunk. Thus, he slept through night.

Waking up was rough for him as his back ached from the tree's rough arch. For though he was raised in the forest, he wasn't in the habit of sleeping in a tree that wasn't hollowed and filled with the comforts of home. Navi, on the other hand, slept as fine as any forest fairy could be expected. Link found himself awakened by the cock of a bird with great lungs from the distance. To which a bird, nested in the tree, from Hyrule's wild answered in a gentle whistling tune. The dawn had smitten Link so that he was still in awe, for this was his first sunrise. His heart was warmed by the light that graced his sapphire irises, the fiery display setting his heart's passion of adventure in a fervent blaze. And when the sunrise exceeded the point of dawn, the bird's whistling ceased.

Finding a few mushrooms beneath the tree, Link contented himself for a 'cold breakfast'. And while he sat still in mulling thought as his meal settled in his stomach, Navi chirped. "Hey! That great stone on the hill, that's someone's home." She observed before exclaiming, "Link, we had shelter right there!"

On the evening before, the ascending stone seemed to blend with the land as rock that naturally stands on a hill. But now as Link looked, the light revealed that the stone was a jagged wall that was both primitive and sturdily made. And at the northern wall, there was a gate to lead therein. "Well…" he thought aloud, "a lot of good shelter will do me now." But then his head cocked with a sigh, "But it's still good to know nonetheless."

It wasn't long before the young blond left on his way until he at last reached the wall of the city. There the sun illumined the stone of the ascending wall as though it were unpolished marble. The battlements stood as teeth of stone. A river flowed from eastern Hyrule and ran along the city's wall in mote before it descended southward. And the gate was open as a great drawbridge of hickory wood in many planks.

A guard stood present as Link made entry. "Stand fast, little master. What business brings you to the city of Hyrule?" The man was tall with boots and greaves of steel, his shirt was chainmail, and his armor was hardened steal with bronze plates. Amidst his breastplate, a crimson emblem presented the signification of the Kingdom: three triangles stood together as one great triangle, and the wings of a phoenix protectively embraced them as though it held them up.

Since Link was in no way prepared to answer without giving himself, Navi whispered to him from under his cap what he should say. "I am a boy of the forest near Faron, and I have come to visit friends in the city." He said.

"Alone?" The guard remarked with a raised brow.

"No," Link returned, "My family gave me a fairy to guide and watch over me so that I may be safe in my travels." And then he removed his cap as the blue orb then hovered over him with dusts of her light sprinkling over him.

The guard was taken aback and at first observed with scrutiny, but at length he came to settle in his thought. "Unusual. … Though not exactly unheard of. … Ugh, I know very little of the ways of those who live about the forests of Faron. Tales that hail of that place ring fantastic to say the least, and even dark in some cases. If your fairy is able to see you safe through that environment, then I suppose that there's no harm in leaving you be. … You may enter, master…?"

"Link…" The boy replied with a hint of a smile.

And the guard smiled in return, "Have a safe visit with your friends."

Link smiled as he went forth. But his smile changed as his mouth dropped and his features expressed pure marvel. For as Link walked down the streets passing the guard station and the defense's housing, he found himself upon the main square. A fountain of running water stood center of the pavement which was surrounded by a perimeter of fashionable buildings. Then to call the buildings fashionable was perhaps an understatement when observing the people. For the Hylians stood tall to the Kokiri raised lad, and for the most part, they were all dressed in extravagant attire of bright tunics, fine silk blouses and dresses, and jewels of many stones and gems for decoration. And they were all bustling about from one crowd to another as shops were open and booths made sells. Others made music while some danced. The children frolicked, and dogs and pets made chase. This was the city's market.

Link attempted to beckon the attention of some so that he could enquire of the castle and the princess. None gave the lad notice however, as they all continued about their own business, having no time for him. While Link did manage to get noticed by one lady, she was advanced in age, and thus she was far too preoccupied with her own state of thoughts to give him room speak. "The war is over they say. But what is to be trusted? Gerudo have become friends, but do they not abuse our hospitality? They say that the Gerudo king invades our own very records and precious traditions, and no one bats an eye …" Link had no idea of what she saying, but he could only listen as she would only ramble on, "I keep telling my son and their families that they should attend closer to the Temple of Time, for surely these times are omen to a great tragedy and that the Hero of Time will come. Be ready!"

Link's head was cocked then as he finally managed to get in a word. "What's the Temple of Time?"

Her eyes popped wide. "You don't know!? Bah…then pay attention child, and you will learn your history!" And then she turned about to the northeast and gestured to a great stone structure that stood most unique amidst the city as it was very old, and it bore a steeple pointing high. And the great mountain he had seen from Hyrule's Field stood in the background. "Long ago when the kingdom was young a great tragedy troubled Hyrule and the wise sages served the goddess Hylia and the royal family of Hyrule's kingdom. They built that building you see there, the Temple of Time. And they instructed that therein the temple was safeguard to the key and our hope when the next tragedy should come. And the Hero of Time will come to that key and bring light where there is darkness. … Yes, and I tell you that there is no safer place to be standing than under the secure shelter of the blessed temple."

"Link," Navi whispered, "we have to go see the princess!"

At that, Link slipped off, and when he looked back out of fear of his rudeness of not properly excusing himself from the lady, he found that she had not even taken notice of him being missing in her rambling. But then the crowd intensified as he turned to move forward, and as he was overwhelmed, he escaped only by making through the entrance of the shop that stood by. And interesting to him of all shops, this one stood practically empty.

The room stood open, and while it was not vast, it had significant space for its visitors. Link stepped forward and each step resonated to the chamber's ambience. 'So calm and quiet' Link almost thought, except rather it seemed off-putting. Beams stood amidst the wood and clay walls, with a simple ceiling of oaken rafters. But then he observed the racks and shelves that stood in some places about the walls with items they bore, and these gave him mixed feelings of cheer, amusement, joy, anger, fear, and dread. And he did not know whether he stood in awe or despair. Masks, they were. Wooden masks. Though Link had seen masks of Kokiri make before in their festivals upon a season, these did not just represent a face to merely adorn or put on. They seemed to be much more. And they were all a different kind, each one unique to the role it presented to fill. There were happy faces, angry faces, faces of people, and faces of beasts. Yay, there even figures that Link could not name as that he was unsure whether they were portraying a face at all.

"Navi…" Link asked with wide eyes, "what are these?"

"Masks." She plainly replied.

But Link shook his head, "No. I mean. … What kind of masks are these?"

Then before Navi was about to respond how she didn't know, another voice spoke from a figure who now presently stood at the shop's counter. "Non-ordinary. That I can assure you." The man said oddly cheerly and stoically. Two distinct expressions that neither Link nor Navi knew were possible to combine, increasing their unease.

Orange was the hair of the mask salesman, and he adorned a scholarly fitting tunicin lavender of wealthy attire. And he grinned unceasingly. A grin that had a strange effect on Link as he did not know whether it made him want to smile or whether it frightened him to a scare. But as the gentleman spoke, Link detected a means of benevolence in the voice. And that drew his comfort in the man a little closer.

"For these masks do not only represent the face, but they carry the emotion and character of the very essence behind the face. To adorn it, you are not merely masking with a ruse of decoration, but you adorn the very character that the masks represents. Therefore, you learn something more about your own character through its experience. … So, to wear one of my masks, … it is of a very personal nature to … as I said, … experience. Thus, in this way, one could argue that these are not masks, but rather that they be more properly known as 'Shells' that possess a certain nature of character."

Navi gestured then in concern, "So, then what are those sad and angry faces for, if to wear them is to experience the character of the mask?"

"Ahh," replied the salesman in a soft and solemn manner, yet with his grin ever present. "While some of my masks are found rewarding to some of my customers (or clients if you prefer) in their stories, many of my masks are learning tools, and as for these particular masks, I do not recommend them lightly. Or rather, I should say, that to recommend them is to serve as more of a prescription than just a mere recommendation. Because as experience is often the best teacher, there are some who have lessons to learn. And some of those lessons require one to learn, as the saying goes, … 'the Hard Way'. … Thus, by wearing the masks, whether it be the sad mask or angry mask perhaps through the sadness or the anger they may learn from it via its experience or maybe even of its consequences."

Link muttered aloud, "That sounds like a Hard lesson."

"Indeed, young master." Replied the salesman, "Indeed." He nodded. "But often their character is then shaped for the better."

Link enquired then with curiosity, "How much do you require for the masks, in trade?"

The man's grin broadened then, "Well, the sign that stands here…" he gestured to the posted paper that stood on a easel next to the counter, "… it explains the procedure of how I operate and manage business with the merchandise of masks. … But you are such an enlightening lad, and I will be happy to explain it to you myself." The man's eyes twinkled a bit as he then began to elaborate. "You do not have to pay immediately for any of these masks as rather you may borrow them and wear them as much as you like. And others will enquire of you about the masks and desire purchase, in which you will bargain with them at what value the mask means to them. Then I ask that you sell it, but then you must remember that I expect payment for my mask before I let you borrow again."

"How do I attract customers as you seek? … I am not much for business." Link asked.

"Advertising my masks will require no effort on your part when you wear them. For not only do the masks produce a rewarding experience for yourself. But as you adorn them, you will find that they are inspiring to those around you. Thus, the customer or client will usually almost beg for it. But this process is particularly true for those whose character matches the mask in their need for it. For a mask and its owner share a bond when they serve as a true match."

"How much do they typically sell for?" Link enquired.

"Well," the man started, "there is no 'typical' amount for which they are sold, but they stand to range from 30 to 500 rupees."

Link cocked his head then in wonder due to not being familiar with the concept of currency. Which then Navi interjected to explain to him, "Rupees represent values of trade, Link. Instead of trading 'things', they trade rupees which represent the value of said 'things'. So, a green rupee is worth one rupee, a blue rupee is worth five rupees, a red rupee is worth twenty rupees, and so on. And 'things' in Hyrule that are purchased in trade are purchased and measured in value by rupees."

While Link did not perfectly understand, he did get a grasp of the concept. So, he nodded to Navi that he understood her basic point. Then Link turned to browse the salesman's merchandise: each one unique with so many to choose.

"I can't decide on which one to borrow. Can you recommend something suitable?" Link asked of the salesman.

"To match you in your person?" The man asked with brows raised.

And Link replied, "Yes, like a bond as you said. A 'Match'."

The man cocked his head this time, "Do you not think it fool hardy to assume such a means before fully understanding it?"

Link paused at this in mulling thought, and in a moment the weight of the man's words frightened him. But he eventually returned answer, "I believe that I do understand the weight of the means, and if there is a lesson to be learned in the experience, it should benefit and add to my character. There is pain in growing, and is it not foolhardy to run from it when one should meet it for the better. For one grows in real life whether he accepts it or not, though the longer he takes to accept it, the longer it takes to grow."

"Sometimes," the man said with his grin turning straight for the first time, "as growth brings wisdom, sorrow often comes with wisdom, and while sorrow and wisdom can make the heart better, it can become a difficult burden to bear."

"Then so it is." Link said, and he mulled on the burden he was now bearing to carry the Deku Tree's bidding and charge to offer his strength for saving Hyrule. He thought about the trial of the Kokiri sword, and his growth to accept its burden, the sacrifice. "For what more is there for me to offer in my life than to better myself."

"Courage." The Mask Salesman whispered to himself in marvel as he observed the lad, and then he responded, "You take a courageous stance, and it speaks much of your character for who you are as you choose to take responsibility of much."

His grin returned, and the salesman observed his shelves before returning gaze to the lad, "While I believe you find delight in being able share many experiences with my masks, I do not believe that any of the masks that I display match the person as you have shown yourself to me. … That being said, there is one which I possess that probably would suit your very person, but it is very special. And I perceive that you are not ready yet to mantle its prowess. That you will have to prove to me that you are ready to bear it. …"

Link observed more then, and he noticed one that seemed bound like it were caged though it were observed in display. And it stood against the wall on back to the right, away from the counter. "What is that one?" Link asked, but only out of curiosity. It bore many colors and its shell was shaped as a heart. In the lobes, it bore two great eyes as that of a madman, and ten horns extruded from it in crown. At first Link was filled with a fear and dread of it, but as the more he beheld it, a curiosity grew great in him as though it had called to him to 'come hither'.

As the man followed his gaze, he nodded to answer cryptically, "Ahh, that one. That one is off limits as I wouldn't prescribe it for anyone. No good would come of drawing experiences of that tricky character. No, I just let it set on display to instill fear in the foolhardy who do not aspire to any betterment of their persons. For it inspires terror to anyone it doesn't feel drawn to in character. But of someone it takes interest in, it instills a drawing curiosity of it. Only a handful to count have I seen to fit this 'come hither', and you are one of the few. And I tell you to leave it alone and out of mind."

Link nodded and accepted the man's answer as he firmly resolved to give it no thought.

"But maybe this one…" The man said playfully as he pulled it from the shelf just behind him. It had the face of a kind of fox, that the towns folk of Hyrule more properly knew as a Keaton. It had a pointed orange face with a black dotted nose, slanted eyes, and its ears stood atop in points. "This is a Keaton mask which shares the merriment of a child. It seems that as a growing lad as yourself, your merry memories are something to cherish. And perhaps you will find a buyer who matches the need for such a gift of merriment."

Link nodded as he held it. "Alright" Then Link's conscious mind returned to the reality of time. "I should get going now." He said.

"Well met, young master." The man nodded as Link made exit.

Then as Link found himself back in the bustling market square, he again was befuddled as what to do. "What now?" He turned to Navi.

"Well, we obviously can't talk to anyone as they're too busy minding their own business. So, the only thing we can do is standby and listen to see if we can hear anything of value to us." Navi answered.

"Listen?!" Link remarked, "In this crowd?!"

Navi acknowledged, "You have a point. … Maybe I can buzz around and listen to what I can hear. You go find something to do for the time being. And I'll come find you."

So, while Navi 'buzzed around', Link found himself just looking at the sites that the shops and booths had to offer. From fish and potions to shields, deku sticks, and foods, there was a lot to see. Eventually, he ran into a few that he came to help with their things, whether it was carrying something for an older gentleman or helping a lady find her dog amongst many dogs that played about in the public. And many times, Link was tipped with blue and green rupees. And with them, he bought some potions and tried different meals and treats. Then there were games that Link participated in. One being a shooting gallery where he took aim at staged targets with slingshot, and he had to be quick. And as Link actually won after a few tries, he reaped a profit from the winnings. Then when sitting by a tree, he heard two gentlemen talking close by.

"Hahaha, you…I Can't Believe You Seriously Did That! Haha!" Exclaimed the one in laughter as the other went on to say,

"Brother, I just wanted to see it. The castle courts! His majesty and her highness. … You know, they say that she is gifted and maybe she even grants wishes!"

"Wishes!?...And here I had to bail you out! Haha!" Remarked the First.

But the second replied, "Don't laugh! I just wanted to see for myself. … It's not like I'm crazy!"

"Not crazy!? Brother, you go ahead and tell yourself that after toting double the share in sacks of grain tomorrow to make up for the bail you owe me!"

The second only grunted.

"By the way,…" The first returned, "How did you get caught, anyway?"

"Well, as I made it pass the guards on both watches of the gates, I was only needing to find a way IN to the castle. When then I chanced to see a drain pouring out on the east side to the river's mote, I found the answer." The second brother paused then as he felt a wave of embarrassment. "But I got stuck in the drain, and it took both of the patrol guards to get me out."

Link perked at hearing this while the first brother bursted in laughter.

But then a lady took notice of him. "Are you alone?!"

"Ummm, … No, how am I alone with there being such large crowd of people about me?" Link replied in bewilderment.

"Ugh, well I never!" She huffed, "What kind of mother leaves her child alone in the market!?" Then she made as if she were about to reach for grasping his wrist when Navi buzzed by her ears with a red orb.

"For your information!" Navi exclaimed, "Link, here, is not alone as he is with me!...Good day! … Come on Link!" And Link followed as the lady stood flabbergasted from witnessing the fairy scold her. For while she had heard of children being watched by fairies, the actual sight of it was unreal for her in a rude awakening.

"Navi, I know a way into the castle." Link told the fairy.

And Navi kept hurrying forward, "Great! And I know the way to the castle." And so they sped off together down the pavement that led north from the square.


End file.
